Humza Yousaf hails 'transformative' opportunity for Greenock

In an exclusive interview with the Greenock Telegraph, Mr Yousaf declared that the potential to attract major blue-chip companies to the district - and with them high quality jobs - is 'real'.

The First Minister - who was in the town yesterday to celebrate securing a council tax freeze for Inverclyde - said: "I think it [Inchgreen Marine Park] can be transformative, if we absolutely get this right.

"The Scottish Government is very proud to invest millions of pounds in Inchgreen, we see the potential of it and we know there is a huge amount of interest from blue-chip companies."

The Telegraph told exclusively last week how global players from sectors including vessel building, renewables and food processing have expressed strong interest in the newly created marine park.

News of a potential queue of investors keen to utilise the revamped facility comes in the wake of a series of withering economic blows to Inverclyde with firms such as Amazon and EE pulling out of the district.

Mr Yousaf said acknowledged the recent 'difficult news' surrounding those, and other companies, but emphasised the money ploughed into Inchgreen.

The development is part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal funded by the Scottish and UK governments (£8.4m), Inverclyde Council (£1.36m), and the refurbishment of the Platers' Shed was funded from the Scottish Government’s Clyde Mission Fund (£1.36m).

Mr Yousaf said: "We want to make sure that we're investing in Greenock, and in Inverclyde more broadly, given some of the challenges that have been faced.

"That is why I'm very proud that the Scottish Government is putting its money where its mouth is."

READ MORE: Over £11M invested in Greenock's Inchgreen Marine Park

Turning to council tax, the First Minister accused Inverclyde Council's Labour leader Stephen McCabe of 'spiting' the SNP by initially imposing an 8.2 per cent hike in the local levy before later agreeing a deal with the Scottish Government to ensure an effective freeze.

Mr Yousaf said: "When I made the announcement of a council tax freeze last year I did so for one reason and one reason only, to protect the people of Scotland.

"We're in the midst of a cost of living crisis, not created by the people of Scotland but created by a reckless Tory government in Westminster.

"The vast majority of local authorities, of course, understood that and therefore implemented the council tax freeze.

"But Inverclyde Labour, Stephen McCabe in particular, chose to simply spite the SNP and did so at the expense of local households here by raising their council tax bill by more than eight per cent.

"He rightly got an uproar from the local people right across Inverclyde, including of course here in Greenock and was forced into, frankly, an embarrassing u-turn.

"So for me it's a pretty simple message; if you want somebody to stand up for you, if you want a party that will always be on your side then you're going to vote for the SNP."