A ROW has broken out after an MSP called for Inverclyde Council to abandon its bid for a green freeport and explore alternative means to tackle poverty.

Council leader Stephen McCabe today hit back at the Scottish Greens' Ross Greer, who said the plans would create a 'race to the bottom' in terms of wages and standards for workers.

Mr McCabe branded the comments as 'petty point scoring' from the Greens as he reiterated his support for the local bid.

Inverclyde and Greenock Ocean Terminal are an integral part of a west coast bid which is up against a series of east coast rivals.

If the bid ended in success then certain goods could be imported, manufactured and re-exported without being subject to checks, paperwork, or import taxes.

Backers of the bid say it will boost trade, local businesses and generate jobs.

However critics of freeports say they put more money into the pockets of big corporations and undermine workers' rights.

Several MSPs recently backed a Holyrood motion lodged by Mr Greer, which opposed all freeport plans and said that they were similar to the Thatcher-era 'enterprise zones' which operated in Clydebank and Inverclyde.

Mr Greer said: "They're a Thatcherite gimmick which will just shuffle jobs between different areas, put more money into the pockets of corporate shareholders and create a race to the bottom on wages and standards for ordinary workers.

"There are far better and most cost-effective ways of tackling unemployment and poverty in Inverclyde."

Responding to Mr Greer's remarks, councillor McCabe said the local authority were taking 'a pragmatic approach' to the freeport plans.

He added: "I'm surprised that the Scottish Greens aren't supporting this policy, which was made by the Scottish Government which they're a part of.

"The only reason this process started was because the Scottish and UK governments supported it.

"The government has decided there will be two freeports across Scotland and if we don't go for it it'll just end up elsewhere.

"I accept there is the potential for displacement of jobs, but the hope is that it creates more economic opportunity overall.

"This is just petty point scoring from the Greens - if Ross Greer really wants to support Inverclyde he could ask his Scottish Government colleagues for a better funding settlement for the area.

"I'm not going to take lessons from a party that has ever stood a candidate here for election.

"We're trying to get the best deal for the west of Scotland and we'd rather the investment came here than went to another area that didn't need it.

"We have a Conservative UK government and the SNP Scottish Government, some of these policies might not be what my party would do in power but we've got to look at what's available and make the best of it.

"If we abandoned the bid they would still award somewhere else freeport status - it would be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

"We've got to use whatever levers are available to stimulate economic growth and help lift people out of poverty and deprivation."

A decision on which areas will become freeports is expected in the near future.