All things considered in the hands of a low time pilot an engine faiure in an SEP is much safer that an engine failure in an MEP
That really depends on the pilot. I would fancy someone who has just completed their MEP course's chances a lot more than someone who passed it 5 years ago, does the bare minimum of hours and scrapes through the revalidation each year. IMHO it really comes down to the pilots attitude towards currency, and seeking instruction if they aren't current enough.
probability of an engine failure is about double in a twin than in a single
Oh please, save me from this tosh. Normally it's TBM salesmen or single engine fanboys that spout this crap. We can manipulate stats all we like. One could argue that any given piston engine, well maintained, has the same chance of failure. If one does go I'd rather have a spare one on the other side.
Twin training isn't all that difficult really, and brings a whole new dimension to flight planning long trips (and a whole new planet of expense!). But insurance will always be the prohibitive factor in a situation like this. And I'm not sure I'd move away from the traditional learning sequence.
I wonder what these guys would rather have been in:
http://www.pprune.org/biz-jets-ag-fl...near-kfll.html