Alba Party slam “national disgrace” of Grangemouth closure announcement

ALBA Party have hit out at confirmation that Grangemouth Refinery will close next year, with the loss of 400 jobs.

Former First Minister and now Alba Party Alex Salmond leader previously intervened to save Scotland’s only oil refinery on two occasions when he was First Minister. 

Alba have slammed the UK Government for “failing at their first test” to defend Scottish industry. 

Commenting Alba Party leader Alex Salmond said:

"Scotland sends Billions in North Sea Oil & Gas Revenues to the UK treasury but the UK Government wouldn’t give a penny back to invest in future proofing key infrastructure such as the Grangemouth Refinery.

“When it comes to saving Grangemouth, both the Scottish and UK Government’s have failed to intervene to secure an industrial future and have instead offered the workforce nothing other than meek words. 

“There is nothing just in a transition that transforms Grangemouth from a site that is home to a combined 10,000 years of expert knowledge to one that simply receives refined oil in large shipments and transfers it into lorries to cart it around the country. 

“It will be disastrous for Scotland if allow ourselves to lose the capacity to refine our own production. That is where the value added comes from as well as the environmental advantage of refining close to the point of production. Scotland first did that a full century ago when Grangemouth was established to refine our shale oil. 

“It will be a national disgrace if we allow Scotland’s natural resources and their jobs to be exported to be refined elsewhere and instead imported through a skeleton staffed Grangemouth.”

Commenting Alba Party Depute leader and Save Grangemouth Campaigner Kenny MacAskill said: 

“The closure of Grangemouth is the industrial issue of our age.

“Grangemouth’s closure will make Scotland the only top 25 major oil producing country in the world that doesn’t have an oil refinery. Scotland as an oil producing nation requires a refinery capacity. 

“As Unite the Union say, Grangemouth is and can be even more profitable. It will be economically disastrous to close Grangemouth and it will force thousands into unemployment in the Forth Valley. 

“Alba have been campaigning to Save Grangemouth and we have been working with the workers and unions. The new UK Labour Government have failed at their first test to defend Scottish industry and the Scottish Government have failed in their duty to stand up for the workers - like Alex Salmond’s Government I was a member of did when he on not one, but two occasions, when First Minister intervened to save the refinery.

“Scotland discovered Oil at the same time as Norway but we did not see the benefits they have. And now the great renewables bounty is set to turn Scotland into a giant transmission station, whilst our only refinery is closed, the revenue is missing, jobs absent and business lacking.“