Grangemouth’s in danger, but nothing is set in stone yet - Richard Leonard

​Once again the fate of Grangemouth, its workers and this community, so reliant on skilled jobs, is being contemplated following the announcement by Petroineos that it plans to end its oil refinery operations in the spring of 2025.

​The future of the Grangemouth plant is shrouded in uncertainty following owner Petroineos’ announcement of plans to turn the site into a fuels import terminal (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)

​This is a major concern but it does provide us with some time that must be used to develop a plan for the site. Nothing is yet set in stone and it is important that no one treats it as such.

Worryingly when I asked the Scottish Government what assurances it had sought and received about the highly-skilled jobs, it talked only about “dialogue” and ensuring they are retained “for the duration of the asset’s lifecycle”.

Ministers must be prepared to go beyond dialogue, and talking about what might be desirable. It must commit to resourcing a proper plan, with the workers and their trade unions, that not only maximises jobs but ensures that they are matched to the need to transition to a greener economy, for the long term.

We have been talking about these issues for decades. Back in March in this column I recalled how 20 years ago I was calling for Scotland to develop an industrial strategy for a more sustainable future, and how simply waiting to offer basic support to workers facing redundancy was nowhere near good enough.

Under the SNP/Greens, Scotland still lacks a coherent just transition plan as part of a wider proactive industrial strategy that puts workers and unions front and centre.

The refinery is a strategic national asset, and any move from manufacturing to import/export is a strategic matter of importance to Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Grangemouth must not be abandoned like our mining communities were 40 years ago.

The future of this industry, and of people’s livelihoods, cannot be allowed to be determined by what works for private interests.

The government must not squander another opportunity to organise for a better future that works in the interests of this community.

People’s lives, their jobs, our economy are far too important to be left to the whims of billionaire absentee owners, and overseas governments. This demands government leadership.

Richard Leonard is Labour MSP for Central Scotland