South Scotland MSP and Scottish Labour’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport spokesperson Colin Smyth has commented on the confirmation that the sale of Prestwick Airport has been scrapped.

The local MSP said: “The collapse of this botched deal has been a long time coming.

“Serious questions need to be asked about the Government’s handling of this sale. They agreed to the preferred bidder and the sale has collapsed on their watch.

“They have provided no explanation of what went wrong, failing to even confirm whether the bidder pulled out or the Government rejected their bid.

“Prestwick workers have been stuck in limbo for years waiting for this deal to materialise, only to get knocked back to square one and they deserve answers.

“Thousands of jobs are on the line – both direct at the airport but also across Ayrshire, so there is simply no room for the SNP’s usual incompetence.

“We cannot abandon Prestwick and let it become yet another failed industrial intervention from the SNP.

“The SNP must show they have a plan to for the future of this vital strategic asset which secures jobs, and the tens of millions of taxpayer pounds already invested in it.”