EXCLUSIVE: The Alloa and Grangemouth MP urged Labour politicians to “put country before party” and “call for Grangemouth to receive the same government intervention as Scunthorpe.”

A Scottish Labour MP has urged his colleagues to raise their game and call for the Grangemouth refinery to be nationalised.

Brian Leishman urged Scottish Labour MPs and MSPs to “put country before party” and “call for Grangemouth to receive the same government intervention as Scunthorpe.”

The Alloa and Grangemouth MP said “it’s not too late” for his colleagues to “stand up for Scotland”.

He added that his party “will be judged on this” ahead of next year’s Holyrood election.

The SNP have often used “standing up for Scotland” as a slogan.

The UK Labour Government recalled parliament to take over British Steel last week.

Leishman said: “I’ve been consistent in campaigning for the government to step in and take control of the industrial situation at Grangemouth that will see thousands of job losses and Scotland’s fuel and national security compromised.

“Let’s be blunt. Neither Holyrood or Westminster has done nearly enough but what last week’s recall of Parliament showed is that things can be done.

“Make no mistake, the government has the power and the influence, the decision government has to make is whether they will exercise it or not.

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“Intervening and treating Grangemouth in the same way as Scunthorpe is the right thing to do – for workers, their communities and all of Scotland.

“This is not a constituency issue for me, this impacts every MP in Scotland because all our constituents will be impacted by Grangemouth closing.

“Scottish Labour are and will be judged on this.

“It’s not too late for Scottish Labour MPs and MSPs to do exactly what the Prime Minister said after winning the election and that is stand up for Scotland on this issue and put ‘country before party’.

“I urge them to do so immediately and join in the call for Grangemouth to receive the same government intervention as Scunthorpe.”

Some in the SNP – including Westminster leader Stephen Flynn and First Minister John Swinney – have been keen to contrast the UK Government’s decision last weekend to effectively nationalise the Scunthorpe steel works and its 2,700 jobs with the approach taken to the refinery in Scotland.

Refining at the industrial hub on the Forth is in the process of being shut down after Petroineos announced in 2023 it was no longer commercially viable.

The decision means 400 workers will be made redundant while a further 50 will be redeployed at a fuels-import depot opened on the site.

Scottish Labour has been approached for comment.

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