RACHEL Reeves has been blasted as “very selfish” by Scottish campaigners who claim they were refused to show their thanks for her promise of investment in a shipyard.
Activists with the Campaign to Save Inchgreen Dry Dock have said they were refused the chance to meet with Labour politicians, including the Chancellor who visited the site on Thursday.
In a statement on social media, the local campaign group said: “We went down to welcome the Chancellor on her visit to Inchgreen and say thank you.
“However, we weren’t allowed to see or talk to her and our Labour MP Martin McCluskey [below] and council leader Stephen McCabe failed to acknowledge our small group even though they were there 45 mins before her arrival.
“Today is the eighth anniversary of the formation of our campaign and it’s a sad reflection on the Inverclyde Labour Party’s two leading members who totally ignored our community group.”
Campaigners highlighted Inverclyde Council's chief executive Stuart Jamieson who they said "had the decency to come over and shake our hands".
They added: "No other councillors were invited to welcome the Chancellor, a real slap in the face to the other parties who have supported the joint venture that has continually failed to keep them informed and produce accounts.
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"Today was all about promoting the Labour Party, McCluskey and McCabe and not allowing the community to acknowledge and welcome the Chancellor’s financial commitment to Inchgreen, very selfish!"
The beleaguered Chancellor, who is facing calls from across the political spectrum to step down for misleading the public in the run up to the Budget, visited the Greenock yard today to champion £20 million of investment she promised for the site.
The site, a historic repairs dock, is set to be operated by Inchgreen Marine Park, a joint venture between Inverclyde Council and Clydeport Operations Limited, a subsidiary of the Peel Ports Group.
Speaking after the Chancellor's announcement last month, McCabe, the Labour leader of the council, said it would help make Inchgreen "an attractive proposition for a variety of businesses and industries".
Inchgreen Marine Park committed to working with the Department for Business and Trade and Ministry of Defence to ensure the site "realises its full potential for regeneration in the maritime sector within Inverclyde".
The UK Government and the Labour Party were approached for comment.
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