Grangemouth owner Jim Ratcliffe is continuing to benefit from taxpayer funded business grants despite plans to close the refinery, the Sunday Mail can reveal.
“It is totally wrong to simply keep shovelling public money into the hands of the tax exile billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s company while the workforce suffer cuts and closures.” Government officials assisted the company in preparing a business case for taxpayer funding, and asked Ineos to provide data to “help to de-risk decisions on any public sector support”.
A Scottish Enterprise spokeswoman said: “We absolutely do not incentivise companies to reduce their headcount. The productivity mission in our strategy launched earlier this year is focussed on supporting companies to make their workforce more productive.” “Both the Scottish and UK governments have broken every promise made to the workers and community in Grangemouth.
The refinery is set to be converted into an oil import and export terminal, with around 400 of the current workforce of 475 losing their jobs. “If the Scottish Government is offering support to the site owners then it is workers who need to see the benefit of it. That must mean jobs and support for local people, not more money for INEOS bosses as they sell out the people of Grangemouth.”