First Minister's Comments Cause Uproar Over Mossmorran Jobs
First Minister John Swinney has been accused of creating significant confusion after he appeared to confirm that workers facing redundancy at the Mossmorran plant would be guaranteed job interviews, only for the Scottish Government to later clarify this was not the case.
The controversy erupted during First Minister's Questions on Thursday 27 November 2025, when Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer directly questioned Mr Swinney. Mr Greer asked if the government would replicate the job interview guarantee from the £25 million Grangemouth Just Transition Fund for the more than 300 workers at risk at the Fife ethylene plant.
"Yes" vs. "No": The Conflicting Messages
In a response that would later be walked back, the SNP leader stated: "Yes, I am happy to confirm that, that agreement that was reached with Unite was announced by me a few weeks ago and I very much applaud the collaboration that has been taken forward with Unite the Union."
This clear affirmation was swiftly contradicted. The Scottish Government subsequently informed the Press Association that Mr Swinney did not mean a job interview guarantee was in place for Mossmorran staff. Officials clarified he was merely confirming the pre-existing agreement for Grangemouth.
Speaking after the session, a clearly frustrated Ross Greer expressed his disappointment. He took to social media, writing: "I specifically asked if the Scottish Government would replicate the Grangemouth fund’s requirement of guaranteed job interviews for laid off workers at Mossmorran. Disappointed that the First Minister apparently meant to say no when he quite clearly said yes."
Wider Context of the Mossmorran Closure
The political row comes in the wake of last week's announcement by global energy giant ExxonMobil that it plans to shut the Mossmorran plant in February. The closure puts 179 directly-employed jobs at risk, along with 250 contractors. There is a possibility that up to 50 staff could transfer to the Fawley petrochemical complex in Hampshire, nearly 500 miles away.
Mr Greer accused the Scottish Government of having "no plan" to assist the workers facing redundancy, a situation he compared to the recent job losses at Grangemouth. He urged the First Minister to apologise for failing to deliver on his commitments.
In his defence, Mr Swinney stated he regrets the impending job losses and that ministers are "working assiduously" to secure a future for the workforce. He revealed that the Scottish Government had received just a week's notice about the closure plans, contrasting this with the UK Government, which he claimed had months of advance knowledge.
He further criticised the Labour government in London, asserting it is "one rule for the rest of the United Kingdom and one rule for Scotland when it comes to industrial closures," pointing to Labour's decision to take control of the UK's last remaining virgin steel plant in Scunthorpe.
