THE battle to save 900 whisky jobs today intensified with a vow by a senior minister to get the decision reversed.
Finance Secretary John Swinney made the pledge after visiting Kilmarnock where drinks giant Diageo plans to close the Johnnie Walker packaging plant with the loss of 700 jobs.
His comments came as the local football club also threw their weight be
hind the fight to save the jobs.
Mr Swinney said: "We are determined to put forward a cohesive argument and initiatives that provide for an alternative to the proposals that Diageo has set out.
"We want to ensure that the proposals put forward by Diageo are not implemented and that we change their minds."
Mr Swinney was speaking after meetings in Kilmarnock with Diageo, Scottish Enterprise, East Ayrshire council and local politicians.
The town's Labour MP, Des Browne, and SNP MSP Willie Coffey, were also involved in today's meetings.
The battle to save the Kilmarnock jobs opened up another front when the town's football club, along with Mr Coffey, launched a petition.
Kilmarnock Football Club chairman Michael Johnston said: "Diageo's decision to close the Johnnie Walker plant in Kilmarnock must be reversed.
"Kilmarnock Football Club will support the employees whose jobs are under threat and our local politicians in their campaign to keep Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock where it was founded in 1820."
First Minister Alex Salmond has urged drinks giant Diageo to reconsider its plans, which will mean 900 workers losing their job through the Johnnie Walker closure and the closure of the Port Dundas grain distillery in Glasgow.
The job losses would, however, be partly offset by the creation of 400 jobs at a packaging plant in Fife.
Mr Swinney said the various organisations fighting the closure plan had agreed today to make use of financial information promised to them by Diageo.
"This was an issue raised by the First Minister with Paul Walsh, the chief executive of Diageo, in their discussions since the announcement was made, during which the company promised to engage in a genuine consultation as they move forward," he said.
The closure announcement led to a political spat between the First Minister and Mr Browne.
Mr Browne said Mr Salmond had been "snoozing on his watch" by only being aware of the Kilmarnock plan shortly before it was announced, a charge denied by the First Minister who said Diageo did not tell the Government of its plans during earlier meetings.
Tory shadow Scots Secretary David Mundell today attacked the "petty war of words".
"It's time to stop the blame game about who knew what and when", he said.
"The truth is that both Labour and the SNP parliamentarians knew about the review in March but neither the UK Government nor the Scottish Government appears to have done anything about it."
Meanwhile Labour appealed for the proposed Port Dundas closure not to be overlooked.
The grain distillery is in Glasgow North East, where a by-election is due after Speaker Michael Martin resigned.
Glasgow MSP Patricia Ferguson said: "What is happening in Ayrshire is disastrous but we cannot allow the fate of Diageo's staff in Glasgow to be forgotten.
"Diageo's review threatens 150 local jobs, including highly skilled coopers.
"We need to know why the SNP failed to even try to influence that review but we also need them to protect the staff and the families."
