Welcome to the industrial renaissance

Labour is making difference.. and there's more to come

- BrianLeishman

THE festive season naturally feels like a time of cheer and a week before Christmas, the UK Labour Government did something truly deserving of celebration - we stepped in to save 500 jobs at Grangemouth, thousands in the wider supply chain and secured the future of the chemicals industry in Scotland and all of the UK.

Investing in workers, their communities and national industry. This is what the Labour Party is about.

Make no mistake, as well as safeguarding the 500 jobs on site and providing security for the workers, the positive impact on the Grangemouth economy will be enormous.

The shops, barbers, pubs, cafes and restaurants - the local businesses that are the heartbeat of any town will all benefit.

The same goes for the guest houses and hotels which will have outside contractors staying.

There will be opportunities of future apprenticeships as the site will continue to be a destination for local people looking to gain the skills they need to build a career.

Labour is backing the chemicals sector through our industrial strategy with targeted support to reduce energy costs, including through the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.

This will cut costs for businesses in sectors including chemicals by up to 25 per cent while the British Industrial Supercharger will save the country's most energy-intensive firms money on their electricity costs.