Scottish Government pledges to 'explore every option' to save 377 Grangemouth jobs as Labour is accused of going 'into hiding'

From the Newshound archive · first published 8 October 2026.

Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn told the Scottish Parliament that his government will exhaust every option to save nearly 400 workers facing redundancy after Chinese state-owned firm Syngenta announced plans to close its Grangemouth chemical plant by the end of 2027. Flynn called the decision "a profound disappointment" and revealed that both Scottish and UK governments had approached Syngenta in September offering support — only to receive no substantive response before the closure announcement. The plant's owner, Sinochem-controlled Syngenta, said Grangemouth was significantly more expensive to operate than its other sites. Syngenta was awarded more than £2 million by Scottish Enterprise just over a year ago to expand operations.

The closure comes a year after the Grangemouth oil refinery shut, dealing another devastating blow to the area's industrial workforce.

SNP MSPs accuse Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government of "going into hiding" — writing twice with no reply over a promised £200 million National Wealth Fund package, none of which has yet been spent.

Syngenta has pledged to repay the Scottish Enterprise grant in full if the site closes.