Alexander Dennis bus firm pulls out of Scotland with manufacturing jobs at risk
Workers at Greenfold Systems Ltd in Dunfermline were informed of potential redundancies as around half the workforce are employed to construct parts for the firm's buses.
Up to 90 jobs are at risk at a Scots manufacturing firm after bus company Alexander Dennis revealed plans to pull out of Scotland.
Workers at Greenfold Systems Ltd in Dunfermline were informed of potential redundancies as around half the workforce are employed to construct parts for the firm's buses.
The building - one of three - is dedicated to the work on the buses, with other sites in Lochgelly and Chatham, England.
Graeme Downie, Labour MP for Dunfermline and Dollar, said he has written to First Minister John Swinney about the threat of job losses.
He told STV News: 'The management and staff at Greenfold Systems are doing their best in an incredibly difficult situation but the fact these 90 jobs in Dunfermline are at risk just shows the ripple effects of the SNP's economic incompetence and their failure to support Alexander Dennis and bus building in Scotland.'
Plans under consultation at Alexander Dennis would close their Falkirk plant and cease production at the nearby Larbert factory, with 400 jobs at risk.
Bosses at the bus firm this week said the closure of sites at Scotland is 'not a done deal'.
The company told MSPs that orders for up to 100 buses and changes to regulation are needed before the end of the year.
The jobs would instead be consolidated at a single site in Scarborough.
In evidence to a Holyrood committee, president and managing director Paul Davies said: 'It's absolutely not a done deal, it is a consultation process."
Davies told the committee the firm would need to see consistent orders to help stabilise the future of the business in Scotland.
He said this would be around 70 to 100 buses by the end of the year and 300 to 400 for next year.
Calls have been made for a furlough scheme to be put in place, with the Government being urged to step in and pay workers until building can begin.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes pledged earlier this month to 'leave no stone unturned' to secure a future for the workers at risk.
Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP said: 'This will be an extremely difficult time for the workforce at Greenfold Systems, and my thoughts are with them today.
'The SNP's failure to support bus building and buying in Scotland is inflicting a chain reaction of misery for workers and local communities across the country.
'If the SNP government are serious about delivering for our economy, they should be sitting down with the firm to thrash out a solution and finally get behind Scottish manufacturing.'
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Minister for Business and Employment Richard Lochhead said: 'I am very disappointed to learn that Greenfold Systems Ltd has entered into consultation with a view to making redundancies at its Dunfermline site.
'This will be a difficult time for the employees at risk of losing their jobs, their families and for the local area. Scottish Enterprise will engage with the company to better understand the reasons for this decision and whether it can offer any assistance.
'The people affected by this announcement are our immediate priority and the Scottish Government will do everything in its power to help those affected through our initiative for responding to potential redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
21 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ian Blackford calls on SNP to support defence industry
At this week's NATO summit, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer committed to raising defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. READ MORE Mr Blackford said this was a "seismic shift" and would have "massive implications for the budgets of every government department over the next decade." "Though in these islands we have excellence in many aspects of our armed forces, to a large extent our military capability has been hollowed out," he wrote. "The need to enhance defence capability and at pace is stark. "There is now a race to invest and if we take last year's defence spending of £53.9 billion as our base, we are going to have to find by 2035 an extra £60 billion plus a year to invest in defence. "Where is this to come from?" The former MP said 'difficult choices' would need to be made. He argued that defence funding should not be seen as a moral compromise, but as an economic lever. "Austerity will be a price to be paid as a consequence of having to invest in our national security. "Investment in defence, though, can be a lever and transformative in itself in generating economic growth." He noted that the industry already supports 33,500 workers in Scotland and contributes £3.2 billion in gross value. "We all want a high-growth, high-wage, high-productivity Scotland—a society that drives investment in skills and innovation." The SNP has long opposed public money being spent on munitions. The Scottish National Investment Bank's ethical investment policy currently bars organisations 'primarily engaged in the manufacture of munitions or weapons' from receiving support. Ian Blackford calling on the SNP to embrace the defence sector (Image: PA) Recently, a new welding centre—backed by Rolls-Royce and intended to support Royal Navy submarine construction—was denied funding by Scottish Enterprise. The UK Government has since stepped in to fund the initiative. The SNP has faced accusations of hypocrisy, as the Scottish Government funds Ferguson Marine, which is subcontracted by BAE to work on Royal Navy frigates. Mr Blackford's intervention comes as John Swinney faces mounting internal and external pressure to reconsider his government's position. Recently, the First Minister suggested the policy could be "reconsidered" given the growing threat from Russia. Speaking on the Holyrood Sources podcast, he said: "I'm conscious we are living in a very different context today. I do think the Russian threat is very real. We have to consider these questions." He added he had no objections if a company wished to set up a munitions factory in Scotland. The First Minister added: "We do not use public money to support the manufacture of munitions but will support skills and defence companies." Speaking to Scotland on Sunday, Stewart McDonald, the SNP's former defence spokesperson at Westminster, said it was time for the party to look again at the policy. "It hasn't had a proper defence debate since 2012, when we changed the policy on NATO," he said. "All of this is moving at such pace. The entire international picture is moving at a rapid pace and if we are a party that seeks to be an independent state—and an independent state in NATO and the EU—then we should have stuff to say on this." Mr McDonald warned: "There is a risk the party falls behind in that debate." He said: "That's a debate going on in capitals across Europe. And although Edinburgh is not a state capital, the Scottish Government has a role to play as a domestic partner. "We have an industry in Scotland worth many billions of pounds, employing somewhere between 33,000 and 35,000 people, and it has a very awkward relationship with the Scottish Government—it has done so for a long time." He suggested Mr Swinney should gather major and smaller defence employers in Scotland, invite the defence procurement minister from London, and ask: "How do I marshal the resources of the government—spending, policy, legislative—to better support this?" "I understand there's a bit of political balancing to be done here, but I think that can be over-thought and over-egged," he added. "We do live in much more dangerous times and there's a risk we are just saying the same stuff we've been saying for a long time—and that just would not be credible to stand still politically as the entire world changes around you." Mr McDonald branded the Scottish Enterprise ban on munitions-related investment "a stupid policy" and criticised restrictions at the Scottish National Investment Bank. Meanwhile, in the Sunday Mail, Labour's Scottish Secretary, Ian Murray, called on the SNP to reverse its opposition to nuclear weapons entirely. "Any responsible government has to make sure they put their national security and the safety of their own people first. "Scots only have to turn on their TVs and pick up their newspapers to read about the fact that there is a changing global instability. "I do think the Scottish Government should readdress it." Previously, Mr Murray described himself as a 'lifelong unilateralist' and was one of 2000 parliamentarians to have signed the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) pledge, which obliges signatories to work for their respective nations to sign up to a worldwide ban on nuclear weapons through the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). He added: "My views on nuclear weapons changed some time ago but they have been underlined and emphasised by the fact that the issue of nuclear weapons and deterrence has become a huge global stability issue. "For the Scottish Government to tell Rolls-Royce, one of the most respected British institutions, that they will not contribute to them investing in a highly skilled welding academy in Glasgow tells the public that they do not care about jobs, growth and opportunities for the future. "That is a huge part of the defence dividend we should be trying to capture. Places like Babcock and BAE Systems are hiring foreign welders from the Philippines and South Africa to do the work local people should be doing." READ MORE However, SNP defence spokesperson Dave Doogan told the paper that the party remained 'resolute' in its opposition to nuclear weapons. "We believe we're firmly in step with the vast majority of civil society in Scotland on that point. "Ian Murray, consistent with many other issues, is not in step with the majority of civil society in Scotland. "I've spoken to armed forces professionals who deal with the nuclear deterrent and nobody talks about it in the triumphant way in which Westminster politicians of the two main parties do." Any change in the Scottish Government's policy would likely be met with opposition from the Scottish Greens.
Edinburgh Live
an hour ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Book Festival awarded £300k in taxpayer cash after Nicola Sturgeon ex-aide hired
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The Edinburgh International Book Festival received £300,000 of taxpayer cash weeks after Nicola Sturgeon's ex-chief of staff was appointed as director. The former first minister, who is among the headliners for the event, will be promoting her new memoir - Frankly. Her former top adviser, Liz Lloyd, was hired as director of the festival in May, reports the Daily Record. A 'one-off' lifeline for the festival of £300,000 was announced by the Scottish Government in June. The event lost its chief sponsor Baillie Gifford last year, after campaigning from eco activists over fossil fuel ties. Lothian Tory MSP Sue Webber said: 'Taxpayers will be asking questions about how the SNP suddenly found this money a matter of weeks after Nicola Sturgeon's most senior former adviser was appointed a director of the festival. 'While the book festival is ultimately crucial for Scotland's culture and Edinburgh's economy, many will be thinking this is not a mere coincidence. The SNP was only scrambling to find this funding because Baillie Gifford was hounded out from its long-held sponsorship by climate activists. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox "SNP ministers should come clean on how this funding was awarded and if there was any lobbying from former colleagues who were once at the heart of the nationalist government." Lloyd worked for the Scottish Government for nearly a decade as Sturgeon's top aide, working closely with current FM Swinney who was then deputy FM. Lloyd was Sturgeon's chief of staff from 2014 until 2021 then a strategic adviser until the ex-FM quit in 2023, when Lloyd also left her post. The book festival said it would be 'spurious' and 'misleading' to suggest any link between Lloyd's appointment and the announcement of the cash, which it said had been planned for months. The event's government funding has more than doubled in the past year to a record £820,000. Announcing the £300,000 grant on Wednesday, SNP Business Minister Richard Lochhead said it would help schoolkids continue to access free literary events. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. The book festival had previously warned its ability to deliver a successful event had been 'severely compromised' by the ending of its relationship with finance firm Baillie Gifford. The deal was cancelled after activists with the Fossil Free Books campaign targeted book festivals across Britain. The Scottish Government said: 'The Edinburgh International Book Festival is one the country's most significant cultural institutions. Its schools programme has been crucial in fostering literacy and cultural engagement among young people. 'Supported by the increase in funding for festivals announced in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget, this funding secures those benefits for young readers across Edinburgh, helping schools that might otherwise struggle with travel costs' Glasgow's Aye Write literary festival had to cancel last year's event after its bid for funding from government quango Creative Scotland was turned down. It is set to be revived.
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
From Hong Kong to Kirkcaldy: Meet Scotland's new Street Food Champions
Minor condiment crises aside, Cheung is in high spirits following a weekend which saw her and business partner/fiancé, Rick Tai, come out on top when competing against fellow street food chefs from across the country. 'I'm still feeling quite emotional about it all,' she continues. 'I had been so nervous ever since first sending our application, and when we found out we were finalists while working a pop-up on Leith Walk, I was just jumping up and down on the street for what felt like five whole minutes. 'When we got there for the competition weekend, there were so many amazing traders with all of this professional equipment – one of them had a fridge that looked like my closet at home. 'We tried so much food and the finalists were all fantastic, but I was nervous because we come from a different culture and don't have as much market experience. 'When they announced we had won, I cried straight away.' Read more: Though they are relative newcomers to the Scottish street food scene, this Perth-based couple previously achieved success in Hong Kong, where in 2016 they founded a permanent Smoked Tamago shop serving a signature dish of Tamagoyaki. These traditional Japanese-style egg rolls wowed judges at last weekend's awards and ultimately secured their win, but Cheung admits to having some initial doubts over whether their menu would catch on in a new country. 'We moved to Scotland around four years ago, which was a really difficult time because of Covid', she explains. 'We both had other jobs, but always knew that we wanted to start our food business again. "It was only late last year that we found the courage to say, 'ok, let's do it'. 'We had a takeaway in Kirkcaldy at the beginning, but then realised that we needed to be meeting people face to face so that we could properly explain our signature dish because it's not very common in Scotland. 'That's why we started doing markets and have stuck with it since.' Pictured: Vincci Cheung and Rick Tai celebrate their win (Image: Supplied) Adapting their business to suit market events proved to be the key to Smoked Tamago's new venture in Scotland, with the team able to 'test the water' before getting in too deep. It also allowed them to reinvent their menu of contemporary Japanese-Korean dishes weekly to include the likes of Tteobokki, Takoyaki, and Japchae. 'The markets in Scotland really did make everything possible for us, because back in Hong Kong, opening a shop was a huge investment 'The city is tiny, the rent is crazy, and the housing prices are terrible. 'But here, we realised that we could try things out in a new environment without having to give up our full-time jobs. 'After a while, we started to feel like people were really loving our food, and I decided that I should probably just go for it.' Pictured: The Smoked Tamago team and British Street Food Awards Champions, Choola (Image: Supplied) Working markets around Scotland also introduced Cheung and Kai to fellow talented vendors like husband-and-wife team Nicole and Ameer Limbu of Choola, who took home the British Street Food Award Champion Title in 2023. 'We owe a big thanks to Choola for being so supportive of us right from the start,' the street food chef says of their first encounter at The Pitt in Edinburgh. 'I had just put in my application for Street Food Awards, and they were able to share so much of their experience with us. 'From then on, any time I had a question, they were happy to answer it and even helped us to pack up all of our stuff after the competition last weekend when we were totally exhausted." With a busy summer schedule ahead, there's little time for Smoked Tamago to stop and celebrate their Street Food Award win before moving on to the next stage of the competition in London this September. There, alongside Scottish People's Choice Award winners, Fire Bowl, they will serve up Tamagoyaki once again in the hopes of advancing to the European final in Munich. Pictured: A selection of contemporary Japanese-Korean dishes from Smoked Tamago (Image: Supplied) Proud to have made it to this stage, Cheung concludes: 'We are just one couple from Hong Kong, but there are actually a lot of people from the city in Scotland right now "Many of them will have been working just as hard, but might not be able to get back into the same industry as they were in before. 'It's difficult to start a new life or business somewhere new, and we're not the only ones trying. 'We just happen to be lucky enough that our hard work has been seen.' You can find Smoked Tamago at the Errol Sunday Market and at the Leith Walk Police Box on Tuesdays. For further updates, follow them on social media @smoked_tamago.
