Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is good to see some commonsense from the government on this issue, but it is still refusing to grant new licences without having a concrete plan for job losses. The government can’t expect workers and North Sea communities to let go of one rope before they can grab hold of another.

 

“Workers and communities need to see spades in the ground and real, well-paid jobs delivered soon otherwise government pledges on a just transition in the oil and gas sector will just be seen as so much hot air.

 

“We’ve all heard the promises before, and in the face of closures like Grangemouth, they simply don’t carry weight with workers who are already being let down.”