MacSween takes on volcano cloud - and wins

Good news for air travellers to and from the Western Isles, who were more inconvenienced than most by the Icelandic volcano cloud.

Labour election candidate Donald John MacSween (pictured planting trees before David Cameron even thought of hugging a husky) took up the cause of stranded passengers. After hearing reports that Flybe, which flies the route to the islands for franchise holder Loganair, was refusing to pay claims for food and accommodation of delayed passengers the Point councillor swapped his spade for a pen.

Sensing a Ryanair situation in the making MacSween went straight to Scott Greir, the Loganair MD who has a lifetime experience of the island routes.

MacSween pointed out the law, the European regulations, the small print and the huge profits Loganair have partly courtesy of the air discount scheme the government operate on the island routes.

Result - success. Now MacSween has pledged to personally get refunds for any island passengers who still encounter difficulty with the airline.

"Any passengers who found themselves stranded in Edinburgh or elsewhere and were refused assistance at the time, should send their receipts for reasonable accommodation and meals expenses, and a letter explaining the circumstances, to me," he said. "I will take up their compensation claims with Loganair myself.”

As a local politician MacSween already has a reputation for getting things done. Now he's demonstrated that in the heat of an election campaign there's a difference between talking hot air and taking on a volcano cloud. It's called delivery.

Picture from Hebrides Today