Green MSP Mark Ruskell says communities in Fife are "crying out" for a just transition.

The Greens back the Fife 'ready for renewal' campaign he says, insisting it would be a "scandal" if EDF did not support the community in the development just off the coast.

The role of Crown Estate Scotland as a landlord is critical going forward, he says.

We also need a state that can create new markets and the deployment of offshore wind must at least double the pipeline of work, the Green MSP insists.

Mr Ruskell says the level of investment required from Scottish Enterprise into the supply chain has not been there.

He calls for a Green New Deal for Scotland.

Douglas Fraser
Scotland business & economy editor

Image source, Getty Images

Hopes pinned on blade production in Dundee and Renfrew: no more. Gamesa, Vestas, Areva and Doosan no more.

No sunshine on Leith for Pelamis wave power. Longannet was a sure thing for a billion pounds-worth of carbon capture funding, but that money went up in smoke - a prize pot pauchled by the Treasury.

Siemens chose Hull. Samsung spurned Methil. Areva departed: its memorandum of understanding must have been a misunderstanding.

Gamesa linked with Siemens and stayed in Spain. Doosan reversed out of turbine design. And wave power went bust.

In the past 10 years, I've seen all these hopes rise, and I've reported on them crumbling to not very much.

Read more analysis here.

Mr Lockhart says the Scottish government lacks a clear long-term strategy on renewables and urges it to work with the UK government to maximise opportunities.

The UK sector deal provides visibility on future contracts and commits to ensuring 60% of development content is from the UK, he says.

The renewables sector has benefited from support from the UK government but this has not translated to jobs and investment in Scotland, the Tory MSP argues.

This is because the Scottish government's priorities are elsewhere, he concludes.

Tory MSP Dean Lockhart says there are compelling reasons to bring jobs and investment related to the Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm to Fife.

We also call on the Scottish government to take action to ensure the work can be placed at the Fife yards, he states.

Mr Mackay intervenes to say he is determined to use powers within the Scottish parliament's competence to do so, which Mr Lockhart welcomes.

The Tory MSP accepts the UK government must also take action on this.

The Scottish Government will do everything in its power to ensure businesses in the renewables sector flourish in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

At first minister's questions last Wednesday, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard called for the Government to stand by the workers of Bifab construction yards in Fife, with fears over the work being moved overseas.

Campaigners have urged EDF Renewables to scrap its reported plans to award a lucrative construction contract to an Indonesian firm for work on a £2bn wind farm project in the Firth of Forth.

It is estimated such a move could mean the creation of only 60 jobs in Scotland at the company's Edinburgh office rather than more than 1,000 jobs for the local Fife community.

Derek Mackay says decommissioning programmes require approval from the Finance Committee and he wants to ensure the government has clear sight of the overall benefits to the public purse.

If Scottish taxpayers are going to provide financial guarantees then we should expect developers to deliver for the Scottish economy in return, he stresses.

The economy secretary hopes members are assured by the new steps the government is taking to ensure the success of the BiFab yards and the wider supply chain in taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the offshore wind industry.

He concludes by saying he is sure the industry will be watching and responding accordingly.

Economy Secretary Derek Mackay says the UK and Scotland has not been securing the level of benefits from the move towards green energy as we deserve.

The Scottish government's commitment to BiFab has given it the best chance of securing new work, he says.

Mr Mackay says he has repeatedly been in touch with developers to emphasise the need to award contracts with Scottish yards.

I remain cautiously confident BiFab will secure contracts that will see jobs return to the Fife yards and the Arnish yard on Lewis, the economy secretary insists.

The sector has let us down and we will not be hoping for improvement, the cabinet secretary said.

He confirms the Scottish government is looking at regulations, levers and powers to bolster the Scottish supply chain, including offering incentives.

Mr Leonard says EDF's £2bn wind farm project off the Fife coast has the potential to create 1,000 green jobs for Fife.

For EDF to send those jobs elsewhere is a betrayal of the BiFab workers, an entire community and Scotland's commitments on climate change, he argues.

The Scottish Labour leader says it should be Scotland’s people who benefit from Scotland’s resources, rather than private companies.

Mr Leonard urges the Scottish government to call on EDF to reconsider their decision and invest in the Fife yard's people and skills, and make sure the wind turbine jackets are built in Fife.

Image source, PA

The contractor building a multi-billion pound offshore wind farm in the Moray Firth has confirmed that BiFab's Fife yards have not won any of the work.

The Methil and Burntisland fabrication yards are mothballed, having been close to financial collapse last year.

Their revival depended on a contract to build some of the platforms for the Moray East offshore wind farm.

Last week trade unions said they expect the work to go to Belgian and Spanish yards.

Read more here.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard says his party "stands shoulder to shoulder" with the Fife yard workers and backs the trade union campaign.

He calls for a Scottish industrial strategy to be created to ensure the renewables sector is properly supported.

There is no public accountability and too little economic benefit at the moment, he says.

Our economy should not be a democracy-free zone, he tells the chamber.

There is no point having a Green New Deal if the outcomes of this are the same as the old deal, insists Mr Leonard.

The green industrial revolution should mean an interventionist state acts on behalf of the people, he claims.

Image source, Getty Images

A union campaign has been launched to save the BiFab construction yards in Fife - which look set to lose out on work for a huge EDF wind farm project.

The Methil and Burntisland yards were mothballed last year having been close to financial collapse.

It is feared a failure to secure contracts for EDF's £2bn project off the Fife coast could kill the yards.

Now unions are calling for a U-turn on plans for the work to be carried out in Indonesia instead of Scotland.

Read more here.

Scottish Labour is now leading a debate on BiFab and ensuring renewable development contracts are secured by firms in Scotland.

Here is Richard Leonard's motion on this debate.

Image source, Scottish Parliament

A bill paving the way for a second Scottish independence referendum could be fast-tracked through Holyrood if "circumstances change", Scottish Brexit Secretary Mike Russell has said.

He warned the UK was "heading for a no-deal Brexit" under the Conservatives - and that some of the leadership candidates vying to succeed Theresa May "positively welcome that disastrous direction of travel".

He insisted Scotland "must not be forced against our will" to leave the European Union without a deal.

Tory MSP Adam Tomkins warned the bill gave powers to ministers, rather than parliament, to set a question and timetable for a future referendum.

And Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard suggested indyref2 was a "distraction" from the "real issues" Holyrood should be focused on.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie says the cabinet secretary has "learnt nothing from the chaos of Brexit".

"Independence will mount chaos on top of the Brexit chaos," he insists.

Mr Rennie says the precondition of holding a second independence referendum is a barrier to his party taking part in the talks.

The cabinet secretary insists there are no preconditions for the cross-party talks.

If there are alternatives, those alternatives should be put on the table, he argues.

Scottish Green co-convener Patrick Harvie says he welcomes any proposals to make the process of referendums more democratic.

He says there is a growing body of evidence that the 2016 EU referendum was impacted by "dodgy money and dodgy data".

How will this bill prevent such undermining of the democratic process, Mr Harvie asks.

Mr Russell agrees a great deal of "shady activity" was seen in 2016.

It will be possible to consider how these proposals can be strengthened as it goes through parliament, he adds.

The Brexit secretary replies: "I don't believe this is in any sense a distraction".

He asks Mr Leonard how he plans to achieve progress when there is a "block" in the form of the UK government.

Mr Russell says the evidence of the last 70 years shows it "cannot be done through the United Kingdom".

Join us in that task, he urges the Labour party.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard says the breakdown of the relationship between the Scottish and UK government is because a Tory government is in power.

The SNP government does not observe the devolution settlement and it is seeking to advance the cause of breaking up the United Kingdom, he states.

He argues Indyref2 would be a distraction from the "real issues" this parliament should be tackling.