Grangemouth closure makes national security ‘massively weaker’ says Scottish MP

A Scottish Labour MP has criticised the UK Government for not doing enough to save the Grangemouth refinery.

Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman – who has previously called for the refinery to be nationalised – warned Scotland’s national security will be “massively weaker” without it.

Site owners Petroineos announced last autumn that it will cease oil refining operations in spring this year.

The site will instead become a fuels import hub, requiring far fewer staff. Around 400 job losses are expected.

The Scottish and UK Government jointly announced cash to support the area in the transition, but critics have said very little of this is new money as much of it comes from the already-announced regional growth deal.

Raising the topic at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Leishman urged the government to intervene to save jobs and “build Grangemouth for the future”.

He said: “In the general election campaign, Labour leadership promised that if we won we would step in and save the Grangemouth refinery, retain those jobs and invest in its future.

“Six months later, this hasn’t happened yet. If the refinery closes, then thousands of jobs will be lost and Scotland’s national security will become massively weaker.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government had stepped in immediately after the election, while the previous government had “no plan at all to support the workers at Grangemouth”.

He highlighted the £100m growth deal, as well as cash for Project Willow – a study looking at turning the site into a hub for low carbon hydrogen, clean eFuels and sustainable aviation fuels.

The prime minister added: “We’ll do everything we can to make sure that a viable, long-term future is there for the workers, for their communities, and all that rely on it.”

The outcome of Project Willow is expected to be published in the spring, but this will not prevent this round of job losses as it will take time to fully turn the site to a new purpose.

Both governments had expressed disappointment in Petroineos’s decision, but the firm argues the refinery is not profitable due to a decline in demand.

An exact closure date is yet to be confirmed, though the company said it would be the second quarter of the year.

Grangemouth is Scotland’s only oil refinery.