Hundreds of jobs in Moray and throughout the north east under threat from falling oil prices has sparked high level meetings in Aberdeen and London today.
Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy is to meet representatives of the oil and gas industry in Aberdeen to discuss what the UK and Scottish Governments need to do to help the sector.
Meanwhile shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran is to lead an opposition response in a House of Commons debate on the oil and gas sector in Scotland.
Highlighting the growing concerns in Moray over the issue, Labour’s candidate for the Moray seat in May’s general election, Sean Morton, said: “The crisis in Scotland’s oil and gas industry is one of the biggest challenges facing Scotland’s economy right now.
“The industry currently supports hundreds of jobs here in Moray and nearly half a million jobs across the country.
“Sadly we have already seen job losses just last week and we have been warned that this could be the biggest threat to Scottish jobs since Ravenscraig shut its doors 23 years ago.
“Still, there is no action from either the Tory or SNP governments. Moray and the North East needs action now.”
Margaret Curran MP added: “We need the UK Government to come forward with their long term plan for the industry to provide operators with some certainty, and we need the Scottish Government to set up a Resilience Fund so that Aberdeen and the surrounding areas do not have to bear the brunt of losses in the industry.
“Today, in Aberdeen and in London, we will challenge the Scottish and UK Governments to step up and take the action that is needed.”