Pressure mounts on Diageo over whisky plant closure

Published on Friday 3 July 2009 22:20

DRINKS giant Diageo has come under mounting criticism over its shock move to close its iconic Johnnie Walker whisky plant in Ayrshire.

As politicians from all parties united to try to fight the closure of the Johnnie Walker packaging complex in Kilmarnock, the company came under a barrage of criticism from East Ayrshire Council.

The local authority has paid for large adverts in newspapers, including The Scotsman, to launch an attack on the company, accusing it of ripping the "very heart and soul" out of Kilmarnock.

The advert, which claims the council was kept in the dark about Diageo's plans until they were made public, states: "There appears to be no real appreciation of the devastation this decision would cause to Kilmarnock and the wider community.

"Generations of families have shown tremendous commitment and loyalty to the company over the past 200 years and now they are to witness the very heart and soul being ripped out of Kilmarnock."

The battle to halt the closure of the iconic plant has intensified as politicians joined union leaders in a bid to save hundreds of jobs.

Senior politicians from Labour and the SNP yesterday met with Diageo officials in a bid to maintain Kilmarnock's historic link with the world's best- selling whisky. But there was a warning from the Conservatives that political posturing on the issue may mean efforts to save the plant will fail leading to the loss of 700 jobs.

SNP finance secretary John Swinney and local Labour MP Des Browne, a former Scottish secretary, visited the under-threat plant together yesterday in an act of unity after coming to verbal blows on the issue the day before.

Mr Browne had accused the Scottish Government of sleeping on the job and, along with Scottish Enterprise, failing to put the case for the Kilmarnock outfit when Diageo first announced its review.

Conservative shadow Scottish secretary David Mundell said: "Once again, they've put their own narrow political agendas ahead of the common good."

The visit by Mr Swinney and Mr Browne coincided with the launch of a petition set up by local SNP MSP Willie Coffey and supported by Kilmarnock Football Club.

Club chairman Michael Johnston said: "Diageo's decision to close the Johnnie Walker plant in Kilmarnock must be reversed. We will support the employees whose jobs are under threat and our local politicians in their campaign to keep Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock, where it was founded in 1820."

Mr Coffey added: "It is vital that we all band together to force Diageo to reverse their decision."

First Minister Alex Salmond has also urged Diageo to reconsider its plans, which would mean the loss of at total of 900 jobs through the Johnnie Walker closure and the closure of the Port Dundas grain distillery in Glasgow.

Glasgow MSP Patricia Ferguson complained that the focus on the Kilmarnock plant was at the expense of Glasgow. "What is happening in Ayrshire is disastrous, but we cannot allow the fate of Diageo's staff in Glasgow to be forgotten," she said.