A landmark review of Scotland’s ferry services has been postponed until after the next Holyrood election amid a fresh row over whether to break up the publicly-subsidised Calmac network. Ministers have put back a consultation on its plans until after the UK election in May – four years after it was first ordered by the previous Labour/LibDem administration – and have set the final publication date for between April 11 and May 6 next year.

But a Government memo seen by The Herald concedes that “in reality” the date is likely to be later, putting it beyond the latest date for a Scottish parliamentary election of May 5, 2011. The delay comes after a key report commissioned by the Scottish Government recommended hiving off some of the services run by Caledonian MacBrayne to private operators to encourage investment in new vessels.