THROWN ON SCRAPHEAP

A LEADING businesswoman has accused Keir Starmer's Government of “washing their hands” of Scotland's industrial base while supporting jobs in other parts of the UK.

- BY JOHN FERGUSON

Property developer and investor Dr Marie Macklin launched the attack in the wake of news hundreds of workers face redundancy at the ExxonMobil Mossmorran chemical plant in Fife.

The Prime Minister has rejected calls to bail out Mossmorran with public money in line with his administration's refusal to intervene to save the Grangemouth oil refinery from closure earlier this year.

By contrast the UK Government stepped in to take control of British Steel's plant in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, to prevent it from closing in April.

Ministers also agreed to underwrite a £1.5billion loan guarantee to Jaguar Land Rover in September in the wake of a cyber attack which halted production.

Macklin joined ExxonMobil’s UK chief in blaming punitive carbon taxes for Mossmorran’s closure and implored Chancellor Rachel Reeves to announce support for the energy industry in Wednesday's budget.

Writing for the Sunday Mail the serial entrepreneur, who was CEO of Kilmarnock-based KLIN Group before founding the HALO regeneration project, said: "The news over the last week that Mossmorran is due to close with the loss of around 200 jobs is a devastating blow.