UK NEWS

SALMOND ‘SLEEPING ON JOB’ OVER DIAGEO

DIAGEO: Distiller will close its factory in Glasgow following planned cuts

Friday July 3,2009

By Paul Gilbride

ALEX Salmond was yesterday accusing of sleeping on the job over plans by drinks giant Diageo to axe 900 Scottish jobs.

The First Minister insisted the Scottish Government was doing all it could to persuade the firm to reconsider closing the Port Dundas distillery, in Glasgow, and a packaging plant in Kilmarnock

But a political row erupted over the fate of the Ayrshire plant, when the local Labour MP, Des Browne, said Mr Salmond was “snoozing on his watch” when the announcement was made on Wednesday.

The former Defence Secretary said: “Ten years ago, we fought a similar proposal and we won.

“Then, the relationship between the political leadership of Scotland and one of its most important industries was one of trust and partnership. But now the First Minister has been caught snoozing on his watch.

“The First Minister only found out about this hours before it happened – even though Diageo had been talking to Scottish Enterprise for some time, I understand.”

Mr Salmond retorted: “The reality is that the Government had seven meetings with Diageo this year.

“At no stage did the company inform either the unions or the Government of their plans.”

And in a swipe at the Kilmarnock MP, he said: “As far as Des Browne is concerned, when a community is challenged with job losses of this enormity, it behoves the local representatives to pull together and to fight jointly for these jobs.

“Our concentration as a Government is on the 700 jobs at risk in Kilmarnock. Des Browne seems to be focused on his own job.”

Mr Salmond also revealed that the company had agreed to hand over the figures behind its proposals and ministers will use that information to argue for alternative proposals, while urging the company to consider the effects of its plans.

Mr Salmond also said that Diageo had an obligation to “engage” with the Government about what alternatives might be possible, and how to mitigate the impact of the “economic bombshell”.

Amazon.co.uk Widgets