What the general election candidates for Alloa and Grangemouth have to say to voters

For the first time, they will be required to bring photo ID with them when they turn up at polling stations which will be checked before they are given a ballot paper.

However, many will have discovered that the familiar constituencies have also changed following the 2023 boundary review.

Around a quarter of those who used to be represented by the MP for Falkirk will now find themselves part of the new Alloa and Grangemouth constituency, while just under 20 per cent of those who were previously part of Linlithgow and East Falkirk are in the new constituency.

The review carried out by the Boundary Commission was a bid to ensure that MPs represented a more equal number of constituents – and saw Scotland’s number of MPs returned to Westminster reducing by two to 57 MPs.

There are nine candidates standing in Alloa and Grangemouth and while there is a mix of veteran politicians and new faces, all are relatively unknown to the electorate in the Falkirk Council area.

Six of them attended last week’s hustings in Grangemouth, organised by Petroineos workers supported by Unite the Union, where they were grilled by the audience on what for many is one of the most important issues of this campaign – what do they intend to do to keep the town’s refinery open.

Independent candidate Eva Comrie has a background in law specialising in child and family matters, and has campaigned for the refinery to be maintained, saying: “This closure isn’t just about balance sheets and profit margins. It’s about families struggling to make ends meet, about the ripple effect that will send shockwaves through our entire community. Real people will face real financial hardship because of this decision, and that is utterly unacceptable."

She has called for the Scottish government to “act decisively” to halt the closure and safeguard the livelihoods of people.

Tom Flanagan is the Workers Party of Britain candidate and, having previously been a Labour supporter, claims to be “the only candidate that is standing on a platform of real redistribution of wealth”.

He has called for a reversal in the cuts to public services, nationalising key industries including the Grangemouth refinery, and rebuilding our NHS, adding: The devastation that would be caused to this area if the Grangemouth refinery closed cannot be underestimated.

"I am the only candidate that lives and works in Grangemouth. It’s the future of my town on the line. It’s thousands of jobs. I grew up in a mining area, there was no just transition for those communities. We need immediate nationalisation to keep the refinery open, until a proper plan for a just transition can be put in place.”

Scottish Labour’s Brian Leishman said he was drawn into politics when he found himself in a similar position to many of having to choose whether to heat his home or feed his family.

He has previously called for investment in education at all levels, saying: “It’s not just our services that need investment, our people do too. When this happens then all our communities improve.

"People see Labour are committed to retaining jobs and bringing the jobs of the future to the Grangemouth refinery. I know how important it is to the Grangemouth community and the rest of Scotland to Keep Grangemouth Working.”

The Alba Party’s depute leader Kenny MacAskill was an MSP from 1999 to 2016 and an MP for East Lothian from 2019. At last week’s hustings he said that he had been working at Westminster to demand intervention to save the Grangemouth refinery.

He said: “When it comes to saving Grangemouth oil refinery as a national asset for the whole country, as well as energy security for the future, there is no bigger challenge facing Scotland right now.

"Grangemouth is already profitable but by making the required investment as called for by the workers and Unite the Union that profitability would be increased three fold and the future of the refinery would be secured beyond 2025. This action will save the refinery, the 500 direct jobs and 2,000 contractors jobs that depend on it.”

John Nicolson of the SNP has already been an MP for two seats: since the 2019 general election for Ochil and South Perthshire, having previously been MP for East Dunbartonshire.

Speaking of the refinery, he said: “It dominates the skyline and is core to so many families’ economic well being. It must have a long term, sustainable future preserving jobs and remarkable, world leading skills.

"Grangemouth's long term future security needs all of us working together. It needs governments and unions and all of the community working together in a grown-up conversation about our energy needs and the best security for the unique and invaluable skills of our workforce.”

Scottish Conservative candidate Rachel Nunn has been a local councillor at Stirling council since 2022, working in one of the most deprived wards.

She said whilst helping people who truly need it is one passion, she is also a committed environmentalist with a background in energy and transport policy.

Rachel is concerned that there is a lot of talk about net zero and a just transition – but there is an absolute lack of a competent delivery plan. A project manager by trade, Rachel says she will be demanding a focus on delivery – whether that be for a country-wide public transport system that meets the needs of people in rural areas as well as cities, or for more affordable housing. She will be pressing for a solution for Grangemouth refinery that will ensure a re-skilling of workers timed to coincide with alternative employment opportunities.

The youngest candidate standing in this constituency is Nariese Whyte for the Scottish Greens, who said her party had already delivered positive change for Alloa and Grangemouth, through free bus travel for children and young people, record spending on climate and nature projects, and the removal of peak time rail fares.

She added: “I’m standing in this election to build on that record of success. The stakes couldn’t be any higher. The climate crisis is getting rapidly worse and the time we have left to tackle it is running out. The Greens have the solutions, and it’s critical that we get behind them before it’s too late.”

Two candidates who did not attend the Grangemouth hustings, nor replied to attempts to contact them, are Richard Fairley of Reform UK and Adrian May of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Online information on Mr Fairley says he is a 30-year-old farmer who grew up in Larbert and has farmed across the district.

Polling stations across the district will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday, July 4. Information on their location can be found here