NEW SNP Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn vowed today that the Scottish government will be “bold, innovative and ambitious” in shaping Scotland’s industrial future.

In his first official engagement Mr Flynn met former workers of the Grangemouth refinery and ExxonMobil Mossmorran ethylene plant alongside Unite the union.

Last year Grangemouth, Scotland’s only oil refinery, stopped processing crude oil after a century of operations, bringing the loss of 430 of the 2,000 jobs at the industrial complex.

In February, oil giant ExxonMobil closed its Mossmorran plastics plant in Fife with the loss of 400 jobs.

At the Grangemouth industrial complex Mr Flynn toured the facilities of Celtic Renewables, a biorefinery which has secured £11 million of Scottish government and Scottish Enterprise funding. The firm is projected to create nearly 150 jobs by 2030.

Mr Flynn said: “It is imperative that we are bold, innovative and ambitious in collectively shaping Scotland’s industrial future.

“I will work to ensure strong, vibrant and indispensable industries, which have been let down by successive UK governments, are at the heart of Scotland’s economy.”