I'LL BUSSED A GUT FOR JOBS

Labour pledge for local jobs as bus firm prepares to move to England

- BY HANNAH RODGER

ANAS Sarwar has pledged to prioritise local firms if he becomes first minister, in the wake of a bus firm putting jobs at risk.

The Scottish Labour leader is planning a major transport summit with some of the UK's mayoral heavyweights to discuss how to protect domestic manufacturers.

It comes after Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL), of Larbert in Stirlingshire, said last week that 400 positions could be lost as it prepares to move operations to a site in England.

Sarwar accused the Scottish Government of failing to invest in Scots firms and opting instead to buy from overseas companies in places like China, Turkey and Poland.

He plans to meet Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and the mayors of Liverpool, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and North East England to discuss how to give firms like ADL greater stability.

First Minister John Swinney will be invited.

Sarwar said: "I won't sit back while jobs are under threat at ADL in Larbert.

"I've called this summit to look at how we secure more work for domestic manufacturers but I also want to learn from mayors like Andy Burnham, who has already ensured contracts go to Scottish and British firms.

"It's frankly a scandal that the mayor of Greater Manchester has managed to buy almost four times as many buses from Scotland as the SNP Scottish Government.