Chinese-owned Syngenta pocketed £1m in Scottish taxpayer grants then blindsided both governments with 377-job closure plan
From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026 · last updated 7 October 2026.
Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn told the Scottish Parliament that neither Holyrood nor Westminster received any warning before Syngenta announced plans to shut its Grangemouth chemical plant by the end of 2027, putting 377 jobs at risk. The company, owned by Chinese state conglomerate Sinochem, had sought 'significant public sector support' on top of a £2.2m Scottish Enterprise grant awarded just over a year ago to expand the very site it now plans to close. Flynn pledged the government would 'explore every option' and said further emergency funding could follow talks between Scottish Enterprise and the firm. Unite the Union demanded 'decisive action' and is pressing Syngenta to pause the closure until all alternatives are exhausted.
Syngenta collected around half of the £2.2m grant before announcing closure — and has pledged to repay it only if the site actually shuts.
Flynn admitted 'many of the challenges' identified by Syngenta lie outside devolved powers, piling pressure on Labour ministers in Westminster to release promised regeneration funding.
Unite's Scott Foley is demanding Syngenta hand over its full financial case for closure, with further crunch meetings scheduled.