Kate Forbes has dismissed there is a “spat” with the UK Government over the threatened closure of the Mossmorran chemical plant.

The Fife ethylene plant is expected to shut in February with hundreds of jobs at risk.

The Deputy First Minister met with ExxonMobil , owners of the Fife ethylene sit on Tuesday, aiming to set up an enterprise with Scottish Enterprise.

But Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander had invited Ms Forbes to join the Fife Council-led roundtable on Monday.

Ms Forbes did not attend, but Scottish public finance minister Ivan McKee was there on the government's behalf.

Mr Alexander said the at-risk workers “deserve unity rather than political squabbles between governments”.

But the Deputy First Minister played down a row with the UK Government, adding that “any

See Full Page