The crisis forms Labour’s most serious test in Scotland, where the party won dozens of Westminster seats at the general election in July. After his victory, Sir Keir Starmer, prime minister, pledged to make saving threatened jobs at Grangemouth his number one priority in Scotland.

Grangemouth, Scotland’s only oil refinery, is set to shut down by the summer of 2025. This could result in the loss of approximately 400 jobs. The refinery, owned by Petroineos, will be transformed into a fuel import and distribution terminal.

Petroineos said the closure of Grangemouth was due to it being unable to compete with more modern foreign sites.

Petroineos stated in the release that, while preparing the refinery site for the transition to an import terminal, it is simultaneously working with UK and Scottish governments to analyze options for Grangemouth to become a low-carbon fuels manufacturing hub.