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The Herald Scotland
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Row over ScotGov failure to track jobs supported by public millions
The Scottish Government says it does not have data on the number of manufacturing jobs created in the past five years - which includes public investment made to bus maker Alexander Dennis - which is planning to move production to England endangering 400 Scottish jobs. And ministers are being further questioned about how the Scottish Government's Green Industrial Strategy, published in September 2024, contains no reference to bus manufacturing in Scotland. Last month, Alexander Dennis announced it was considering relocating production from its Larbert and Camelon sites near Falkirk to Scarborough in North Yorkshire, citing cost-cutting reasons. Union representatives have said the move could endanger approximately 400 Scottish jobs. This news follows the loss of more than 400 jobs just a few miles away in Grangemouth, where the local oil refinery recently closed and was converted into an import terminal. READ MORE from Martin Williams: Swinney got year-long warning England-bound bus firm was 'reconsidering' Scotland FM in funding row as £90m public cash for Scots jobs given to firm going to England Union says 1600 Scots jobs at risk if government doesn't act in 'national interest' The Herald revealed that nearly £90m of public money gone to Alexander Dennis to support Scottish jobs over ten years before it embarked on plan to move operations to England. According to Scottish Government records, ADL received £58m of public 'subsidy' for green vehicles since 2020 under two schemes aimed at transitioning Scotland to green buses - despite the company having embarked on a 2020 plan to axe a third of its Scottish workforce. And some £30m of jobs grants for research and development over 10 years has come from the Scottish Government's economic development agency Scottish Enterprise. Some £11.2m of those jobs grants from Scottish Enterprise came in 2023, three years after concerns were raised over ADL embarking on major job cuts in 2020. A bus on the Alexander Dennis pipeline in Falkirk By the time the 2020 jobs cut was in place ADL had already received over £8m in 'job securing' taxpayer funding which was promoted as supporting building a new greener business in Scotland. Former community safety minister Ash Regan who has been quizzing ministers about the number of manufacturing jobs created as a result of public and private investment - was told that neither the Scottish Government or Scottish Enterprise held the information. She was told in as response that details on analysis on how Scotland has performed in terms of attracting investment in key sectors was available from an survey carried out by consultants EY. Alba's Edinburgh Eastern MSP said: 'The Scottish Government should be tracking investment across the country so that we can ensure that we are committing the right resources to where they are needed most to maximise benefit for Scotland. Their failure to do so leaves inward investors and SMEs with a postcode lottery to secure the support of the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise. 'A national effort is needed to reverse the manufacturing decline of the past decades and ensure that every community in Scotland gets the right investment to create opportunities, ensuring that good jobs are on the doorstep of all Scots." Last week, Fife-based bus manufacturer has made 81 employees redundant after it entered administration. Workers at Greenfold Systems Ltd in Dunfermline were previously put on notice of potential job losses as a knock-on effect of bus company Alexander Dennis planning to pull out of Scotland. Around half the staff on site were working on parts for the Larbert-based company. And analysis from the Robert Gordon University last month has warned that the oil and gas industry could lose up to 400 jobs every two weeks for the next five years unless action is taken. It says that the UK risks losing tens of thousands of offshore energy jobs by 2030 unless urgent and coordinated action is taken immediately. It is estimated that 43% of the UK's oil and gas jobs are in Scotland. Ash Regan (Image: PA) Ms Regan added: "It seems that there isn't a week that goes by without another blow to Scotland's manufacturing capacity. Whether it's the closure of our only refinery, bus manufacturers or a scale back of the oil and gas industry. Scotland desperately needs an industrial strategy to create and sustain high quality jobs for today and build the skillsets and infrastructure for the emergent industries of tomorrow. 'Inward investment is key to keeping and creating quality jobs in Scotland, by securing our remaining industries. Yet, inward investment alone cannot create and sustain Scotland as the economic powerhouse we should aspire to be. We must also invest in infrastructure for connectivity and support the boundless potential of Scotland's Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) - the economic backbone that drives profits back into Scotland. " The Scottish Government was accused of "strategic neglect" after the Herald revealed the extent of support Alexander Dennis has had - while the First Minister was warned last year that it was "reconsidering" its "entire investment" in Scotland. The SNP-led Scottish Government and the Labour-led UK Government agreed to establish a joint working group to discuss options to find a solution and avert job losses. They are looking at how far they 'can push' the UK 'state aid' rules set out in the Subsidy Control Act 2022 to create a support package to save the 400 jobs. Alexander Dennis have said that they are engaging with both governments "in good faith ". Unions have previously warned that "time is running out" on the company before a request for an extension on consultation over jobs to August 15 was granted, while the Scottish Parliament is in recess until August 31. Meanwhile, Colin Smyth, convener of the Scottish Parliament's economy committee has asked the finance secretary Shona Robison, what the Scottish Government's view is on maintaining domestic manufacturing capacity in the bus sector. It came as the Green Industrial Strategy failed to reference bus manufacturing He told her: "Given the strategic importance of Alexander Dennis, the high quality of its workforce and the role of manufacturing in Scotland's future economy, it is vital that every possible action is taken to retain manufacturing, and the jobs it provides." He added: Ministers must act with urgency and ambition to help keep these jobs and avoid a world-class manufacturer shutting its doors in Scotland." Deputy first minister Kate Forbes said:'Scotland has a high value, high quality manufacturing sector that supports 178,000 jobs across the country and accounts for more than half of Scotland's international exports. In 2023 it contributed £18.1 billion in GVA to Scotland's economy. 'Significant strategic work takes place across the public sector to achieve this investment in our manufacturing base: Scottish Enterprise helped create or safeguard nearly 5,000 manufacturing jobs in 2024-25. The latest EY Annual Attractiveness Survey results meanwhile show that Scotland secured its largest share of manufacturing inward investment coming into the UK in 2024 – securing more than a fifth all UK projects. 'Scottish Development International, the international division representing all three enterprise agencies, ensures inward investment is made in the best location with the appropriate support package to establish new business, jobs and opportunities in the country.' The Scottish Government said that Ms Regan did not specifically request data relating to the number of manufacturing jobs in Scotland created through public money. But it has been argued that publicly funded investment was cleared implied by the question.
The Herald Scotland
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Alexander Dennis: ScotGov accused of 'neglect' on firm off to England
A row erupted in the Scottish Parliament in the wake of revelations in the Herald over the depth of the public funding for Scottish jobs over the past ten years - and even while it was cutting back its workforce by a third five years ago. The Herald also revealed how the First Minister was warned about Alexander Dennis was "reconsidering" its "entire investment" in Scotland a year before announcing it plans last week to relocate to England putting 400 jobs at risk. Calls have been made to claw money back money if Alexander Dennis follows through with its plans. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- READ MORE from Martin Williams Swinney got year-long warning England-bound bus firm was 'reconsidering' Scotland FM in funding row as £90m public cash for Scots jobs given to firm going to England Union says 1600 Scots jobs at risk if government doesn't act in 'national interest' ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Scottish Conservative Central Scotland MSP Stephen Kerr told Ms Forbes: "There is £90m of public money went to ADL and yet there was not even a guarantee of jobs. "This crisis didn't come out oft he blue. The SNP governmet was warned for over a year and did nothing. When ADL asked for support they were met with silence. "When Scottish jobs were on the line, the Scottish Government were looking in another direction. "When orders for buses were needed, those orders went to China. "This was not a matter of subsidy control it is strategic neglect." He added: "It is a betrayal of Scottish manufacturing. " The Herald revealed that the row between ministers and ADL emerged over levels of support and had its roots in Scottish Government schemes launched from 2020 to accelerate the use and manufacture of zero and low emission buses in Scotland and 'help drive a green recovery out of the Covid pandemic" which have been worth a total of £155.8m to date. Frustrations emerged after May, 2023 when Alexander Dennis hosted the second phase of the Scottish Government's Zero Emissions Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) which was to have funding worth £58m. It also showcased its Enviro100EV concept, a lightweight single-deck zero-emission bus with new in-house battery powertrain confirmed that grant backing accelerated its development. (Image: PA) In a scathing letter seen by The Herald, Paul Soubry, president and chief executive of Alexander Dennis's parent company NFI, told John Swinney that recent developments had 'regretfully left [them] with the impression that the Scottish Government has little regard for domestic bus manufacturing jobs in Scotland'. The First Minister was also told they had already been 'forced' to offshore certain manufacturing functions to China. But a Scottish Government memo said that ADL had received orders for 363 zero-emission buses from ScotZEB more than any other manufacturer benefitting from the schemes. A separate briefing states that Alexander Dennis was awarded only 17% or 44 buses from second phase of the programme. A significant grant through the ScotZeb 2 programme was awarded to Zenobe, and its consortium of bus and coach operators to support the transition of bus fleets to electric. ADL, which incurred total losses over three years of £44.9m between 2021 and 2023, made its own bid to the programme but was unsuccessful. While ADL was a supplier to the successful consortium it was not a formal part of it. Ms Forbes said that its policy interventions had been designed to "accelerate uptage of zero emission buses in the Scottish market". And she said that the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise had "continued to provide ongoing support to the company, both directly and through support for the adoption of zero emission". She said: "We will work in close collaboration with the company, with trade unions and the UK Government to find practical solutions. Kate Forbes (Image: Colin Mearns) "We are not going to play politics with this situation. We will continue to explore every avenue to avoid job losses. "I recognize that ADL cannot stand still. We want to support the company, to innovate, to bring forward new products that reflect changes in the sector. In this government, we will continue to do all in our power to support Alexander Dennis and their highly skilled workers."
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma absence felt immediately after Team India lands in England: 'Get used to it. Time to witness…'
For the first time since 2011, an England-bound Indian Test team will not feature either Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. The two senior batters announced their retirement from the traditional format last month, leaving the BCCI selectors to pick a new-look Indian side, with Shubman Gill at the helm. But their absence was felt immediately after the Indian side landed in London on Saturday, amid no fans or media at the airport. From the airport to the practice ground, Adelaide had thronged with fans and media when Kohli landed with the Indian team for the tour of Australia last November. The 36-year-old, believed to be playing his final Test series in Australia, had made headlines even before the contest got underway. Such was the hype that Indian team management was forced to conduct a closed-door practice session, forcing fans to climb trees to catch a glimpse of the superstar. But none was seen on Saturday in London after the Gill-led side landed for the five-match Test series, starting June 20. In a video that went viral on social media, Indian journalist Vimal Kumar said, "I did not get to see that hype. Not a single fan or media personnel was seen." While few fans reckoned the aur of Test cricket was gone with the retirement of Kohli and Rohit, some feared it was the "downfall of Indian Test cricket." However, few remained optimistic, saying that the aura would return with Gill getting his bat to do the talking. The first question Gill was asked at the press conference in Mumbai earlier this week before the departure to London, was about the absence of Kohli and Rohit, and the pressure it would put on the young side. But the captain boldly dismissed it, saying it was just like any tough situation they had faced before. "Pressure is always there in every tour. Definitely, two very experienced players who played for such a long time and won so many times, very difficult to fill their space. But it is not a different kind of pressure, all of us players are used to it," he said in the pre-tour presser on Wednesday.
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First Post
25-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Virender Sehwag questions Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from India squad for England tour: 'Why can't he play Test cricket?'
Shreyas Iyer, who has been overlooked by the selectors for the upcoming five-match Test series in England, has not represented India in the red-ball format since the home series comprising as many matches against the same team last year. read more Senior India batter Shreyas Iyer has not represented India in Test cricket since the second of five Tests against England in Visakhapatnam last year. Reuters The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee ended the suspense surrounding India's squad for the upcoming Test tour of England as well as Rohit's successor as captain in the format, unveiling an 18-man squad with Shubman Gill as the captain and Rishabh Pant as his deputy. With icons of the game such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli having retired from Test cricket earlier this month and Ravichandran Ashwin having announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket midway during the tour of Australia, the selectors decided to include some fresh faces in the squad besides picking a new captain and vice-captain. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tamil Nadu's Sai Sudharsan and Bengal's Abhimanyu Easwaran – who will be leading India A in a series of tour games in England before the Test series – have thus been included with one of them likely to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. Similarly, Karun Nair has been recalled after eight years , having been dropped from the team just months after becoming only the second Indian to score a Test triple century. Sehwag feels Iyer can 'definitely play all three formats' The absence of a few individuals, however, has raised eyebrows, including senior pacer Mohammed Shami and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer. Batting legend Virender Sehwag was among those questioning Iyer's absence from the England-bound Indian squad, describing the Mumbaikar as someone who can 'definitely play all three formats'. 'He doesn't get much credit for his captaincy. Manoj (Tiwary) said that Rishabh Pant didn't get captaincy because his IPL season hasn't been great. But Iyer has had a great season, he is also the captain. Why can't he play in Test cricket? He can definitely play all three formats,' Sehwag said on Cricbuzz, reacting to India's Test squad. Sehwag added that it was important for the team to capitalise on a batter's good form regardless of the format, which has been the case with the 30-year-old this year, from starring in India's triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy to leading Punjab Kings from the front in the ongoing Indian Premier League. 'When you're in good form, it's good to take him to the tour because there are higher chances of him performing. I would want to see him in Test team. If he keeps the same approach in Test cricket, it benefits the team. If you have 2-3 players like that, it sets fear in the opposition. England plays at 6-7 runs/over. If Indian team even manages to play at 4-5 runs/over, they can put them under pressure,' 'Viru' added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Iyer has collected 811 runs in 14 Test appearances at an average of 36.86, collecting a century and five half-centuries since making his debut in the format against New Zealand in November 2021. He made the last of his Test appearances during the five-Test series against England at home last year.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
'Sarfaraz Khan won't succeed in England': Pujara addresses elephant in the room after batter left out of India squad
On Saturday afternoon, the Board of Control for Cricket in India unveiled the 18-member squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England, with Shubman Gill named as the new captain and Rishabh Pant appointed as his vice-captain. The squad features fresh faces, with Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and Abhimanyu Easwaran earning well-deserved call-ups. However, the most notable talking point is the exclusion of Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan, a consistent performer in domestic cricket and a standout in last year's Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, where he smashed an impressive 150 runs. Despite that sparkling performance, Sarfaraz struggled to replicate his form in the subsequent two Tests against New Zealand, which may have contributed to his omission from the playing XI during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Since returning to India, Sarfaraz has been relentless in his pursuit of excellence. Training under the guidance of his father, Naushad Khan, he has been honing his skills by facing 300-500 swinging deliveries daily and shedding 10 kilos to achieve peak physical condition. His dedication and transformation made his exclusion from the England-bound squad all the more surprising and disheartening for the 27-year-old. The decision to leave out Sarfaraz has sparked widespread debate among cricket pundits and fans alike, with many questioning the selectors' rationale. While he has been named in the India A squad for two Tests against the England Lions, his prospects of breaking into the senior team appear slim, likely contingent on multiple injuries during the England tour. Adding perspective to the controversy, veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara suggested that the team management might have doubts about Sarfaraz's ability to perform consistently on overseas pitches, a factor that could also explain his absence from the Australia series. While most beat around the bush, Pujara addressed the elephant in the room, bluntly sharing what he feels about Sarfaraz and his chances. "The reason he is not in the squad, I feel, is he has been very successful in the Asian conditions or in India. The management feels that he may not be as successful in Australia or in England. And there were some fitness issues in the past. I don't know about his current fitness. But he has been working hard on his fitness also. So, at this stage, I feel it's a bit unfortunate. But at the same time, someone like Karun Nair, who has performed really well in domestic cricket, deserved an opportunity," said Pujara while replying to a Hindustan Times query during a call organised by Sony Sports network, the official broadcaster of India tour of England. Pujara, who shared the dressing room with Karun Nair during the latter's last Test for India in 2017, expressed his delight at the Vidarbha batter's return to the national side, fueled by an outstanding domestic season. The 37-year-old believes Karun Nair is ideally suited to fill the crucial No. 4 spot in the batting order, a position left vacant following Virat Kohli's retirement. "We don't know whether Shubman is going to carry on batting at number three, or is he going to drop down to number four. So if Shubman bats at number four, then there's a vacancy at number three, then someone like Abhimanyu Easwaran or Karun Nair could be a good fit at that position. But I would still like to see if Shubman can carry on batting at number three and someone like Karun, who has batted really well in domestic cricket, gets an opportunity to bat at number four," said Pujara. "It will be a bit more suitable for him because Karun is someone who hasn't batted at number three in domestic cricket. I'm not saying he can't do it for the Test team, but the ideal position for Karun would be number four."
