Grangemouth refinery workers can look forward to 'positive announcements', says new Scottish Secretary

Workers at the closure-threatened oil refinery at Grangemouth can look forward to "positive announcements" soon, the new Scottish Secretary has said.

Ian Murray refused to say if public money could be used to help keep the site open in the long-term but suggested it could become a hub for the creation of aviation fuel.

The future of Grangemouth has flared up again following the election of a Labour Government at Westmisnter.

Keir Starmer said over the weekend he had a "duty" to help the 400 workers who could lose their jobs as soon as next year.

Site owners Petroineos announced in November last year its intention to cease refining operations on the Forth and convert the facility into an oil import terminal, but no final closure date has been announced.

The separate petrochemicals plant at Grangemouth would continue as normal.

Murray, the reelected MP for Edinburgh South, said the refinery was a “hugely important priority” for Labour.

"The Prime Minister and the First Minister discussed this on Sunday, it was the very first briefing that I got when I was appointed as Secretary of State for Scotland on Saturday morning,” he added.

"The bottom line here is we’ve got both governments fully focused on trying to find a way through in terms of Grangemouth. There will be, hopefully, fairly positive announcements soon on a way forward.”

The Labour minister added there was a "huge opportunity" for the refinery into a hub for the creation of aviation fuel.

Asked if public cash would be invested, he said: "The bottom line at the moment is that we don’t know the answers to those questions – nobody does.

"That’s why the Scottish Government, UK Government, the trade unions and the company are working very, very hard together to find a way through this huge problem that we have at the Grangemouth refinery.”

Pressed on whether funding would be made available, he added: "We’ll have to look at what we can do to try and find a way through this."

The Scottish Government has previously insisted the future of the refinery was a "commercial decision" for PetroIneos.

Unions have been pushing for the site's working life to be extended. Its closure would mean Scotland would become the only major oil-producing nation not to have a refinery.

Speaking on Sunday, Starmer said: "You will understand I am very concerned about the situation at Grangemouth, I'm now the Prime Minister, it's my duty to do what I can to ensure jobs are preserved, and the future is good, as I'm sure it can be.

"I won't get into details, but it is a real priority for me to work on that".

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