THE Labour Government has delivered a “kick in the teeth” to workers at Grangemouth after stepping in to save jobs at a steelworks south of the Border, the SNP have said.
Michelle Thomson, who as the MSP for Falkirk East represents the Grangemouth site, called out the UK Government’s decision to rescue English jobs despite refusing to act on the Scottish oil refinery.
In April, the final refinery in Scotland officially stopped producing oil, with more than 400 jobs lost.
Earlier in August, it was revealed through Freedom of Information documents that Chancellor Rachel Reeves had met with Grangemouth’s billionaire owner Jim Ratcliffe in the same month it closed down – but failed to even mention the Scottish site.
However, on Thursday the UK Government took control of the UK’s third largest steelworks in a bid to save 1450 jobs at the site.
The high court had confirmed that Speciality Steel – previously part of Sanjeev Gupta’s Liberty Steel business – would face a compulsory liquidation. The operation, which has plants in Rotherham and Stocksbridge in South Yorkshire, will be placed into the hands of the Official Receiver and special managers from advisory firm Teneo.
Ongoing wages and costs to keep the plant running will be covered by the Government until a buyer is found, as Labour have also done for British Steel at Scunthorpe.
Thomson alleged that the UK Government was treating English jobs as a higher priority than Scottish ones.
“News that the UK Labour Government has taken control of steelworks in Yorkshire is yet another kick in the teeth for workers in Grangemouth,” she said.
“Earlier this week it was revealed that the Labour Chancellor didn’t even raise Grangemouth with its owner when they met just days before Scotland’s only oil refinery closed.
“That shows you everything you need to know – whoever is in control at Westminster, Scotland will always be an afterthought for the UK Government.”
Labour have pledged £200 million to help plot a future for Grangemouth. However, all of the funding is contingent on private investment and none has yet been released.
