Scottish Labour MP “horrified” by UK government over Grangemouth

A Scottish Labour MP has said he is “horrified” by Sir Keir Starmer’s “inaction” on the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery.

Brian Leishman, who represents Alloa and Grangemouth, warned during Prime Minister’s Questions that the closure would spark job losses and weaken national security.

He later told BBC Scotland News he was “incredibly disappointed” by the UK government.

Sir Keir said his administration would do “everything we can” to support workers and the local community.

Petroineos – a joint venture between Chinese state-owned PetroChina and London-based Ineos – intends to shut Scotland’s only refinery in the second quarter of 2025 with the loss of 400 jobs.

The company has said the site was facing significant challenges because of global market pressures.

After PMQs Leishman, who has previously called on the UK government to nationalise the refinery, told BBC Scotland News he was “not just frustrated but incredibly disappointed”.

He added: “And to be honest I’m horrified at the inaction on the issue.”

Leishman said the closure would affect more than 400 workers, saying there were about 2,000 in the wider supply chain.

The Labour MP said Sir Keir’s government “must do more” to keep the site open.

“It’s an appalling set of circumstances,” he told the BBC.

“We’re the party that were born out of the trade union movement, and right now the inaction on this issue from government level is nowhere near good enough.”

Asked if he believes the prime minister “gets it”, Leishman replied: “I honestly don’t think he does.”

In July the UK and Scottish governments commissioned Project Willow, a feasibility study on building a new long-term industry at the refinery site.

Leishman said that was welcome, but that action was needed urgently.

“We cannot promise the workers jam tomorrow if they lose their jobs in a few months,” he said.

He added it was not too late for the UK government to “do the right thing”, but warned there was “no time for delay”.

Responding to Leishman in the House of Commons, the prime minister said there was “no plan at all to support the workers of Grangemouth” before he took office.

“Within weeks, and importantly, we announced a £100m deal for a growth deal and we’re jointly funding Project Willow to find a viable long-term future,” he said.

The Labour leader added: “I take it very seriously and we’ll do everything we can to make sure that viable long-term future is there for the workers, for their communities and all that rely on it.”

Petroineos intends to turn the refinery into a fuels import terminal, which would require about 100 staff.

Earlier this month it closed the last synthetic ethanol plant in the UK, also at Grangemouth.

Ineos said while workers directly employed at the plant would be redeployed at Grangemouth, the closure would lead to a net cut of 80 roles, with more than 500 jobs impacted indirectly.

Billionaire Ineos boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe has claimed chemical manufacturing in the UK is facing “extinction”.

His firm has said rising energy prices, tax policies and carbon reduction schemes have put companies in the UK at a disadvantage to firms in other parts of the world.

It said it had cut carbon emissions from its Grangemouth site by almost 50% over the past two decades, but that achieving net zero carbon emissions would require significant investment and government support.

The UK government has said it is developing an industrial strategy “that works for Scotland and the whole of the UK”.

The Scottish government has said it is “committed to securing a long term and sustainable future for the Grangemouth industrial cluster including for Ineos’ petrochemicals business”.