“Those who presided over this catastrophic failure of our movement and our industry won’t be forgiven.

“It will be left to those who are willing — Unite the Union and our wider trade union movement – to fight on for Grangemouth.

“We will do so without fear or favour.”

Branding the decision “an act of industrial vandalism,” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is now the last chance for this Labour government to show whether it’s really on the side of workers and communities.

“The road to net zero cannot be paid for with workers’ jobs.

“This is yet another example of workers paying for a crisis they did not create while billionaire owners laugh all the way to the bank.”