Scottish Socialist Party - Easter Ross Branch
Press Release
The news that public-sector quango, the Cromarty Firth Port Authority (CFPA) has won ‘preferred bidder’ status in the sale of the Nigg Oil Fabrication Yard has been welcomed as “a positive development” by Easter Ross SSP spokesperson, Luke Ivory.
Outlining how the plans were a “vindication” of SSP ideals Mr Ivory commented:
“For several years the Easter Ross branch of the SSP has been raising the issue of public ownership as the only viable long-term future for the yard.
“Our campaign to 'Nationalise Nigg' has been two-fold: To provide long-term secure jobs at the yard for oil platform construction and decommissioning; and to utilise the existing modular engineering skills-base for the development of renewable energy technologies as part of a National Strategic Plan for Renewable Energy.
“We have advanced this vision on the doorsteps, on street stalls and during several election campaigns, distributing thousands of leaflets in the process. Other parties have failed to offer any reasoned alternative, other than continuing to hold out the begging bowl to the so-called “free market”, jumping on the back of any fanciful notion that has come along, usually at election time, only to disappear into the mists shortly afterwards. Only the SSP has consistently forwarded a thought-out and considered approach based on principles rejected by the parties of big-business – Public Ownership.
“We therefore welcome the news that the CFPA plans to develop the Nigg Yard along these very lines not just as a much-needed jobs boost for Easter Ross, but as vindication of the ideas first raised by the SSP.”
Pledging SSP opposition against plans to dismantle "toxic ships" at the yard Luke continued:
“The SSP played a key role in mobilising local opposition against plans to decommission nuclear submarines at the yard in 2003, taking the fight out onto the streets of Invergordon, Alness, Tain and Inverness. We saw this as posing a serious environmental risk not just to Easter Ross, but to the whole of the Highlands. This was an approach we were pledged to repeat had the bid from Able UK to dismantle the notorious ‘toxic ships’ at Nigg looked like succeeding.
Outlining support for the bid to save Nigg “from the worst excesses of free-market boom & bust production” Luke said:
“Obviously the CFPA bid falls short of the full-scale democratic public ownership that would be our goal in an independent Socialist Scotland, however it should remove the yard’s future use from the worst excesses of free-market boom & bust production, and prevent the criminal neglect of the yard that has been its recent condition under the ownership of Halliburton subsidiary, KBR Root.
“It is at this stage only a small step that has been taken. However the estimated 1000 new jobs in the oil, gas and renewables industries in a region blighted by some of the lowest wages in Western Europe cannot be seen as anything other than a positive development”.
[ENDS]
