Labour MP Euan Stainbank has backed Prime Minister Andy Burnham's commitment to use public procurement to support British manufacturing, drawing a contrast with the Scottish Government's handling of the Alexander Dennis bus plant in Falkirk.
The Falkirk MP said Burnham's record as Mayor of Greater Manchester showed how public transport investment could be used to support domestic industry.
He wrote:
"Andy Burnham bought British, from Falkirk and Ballymena when he built the groundbreaking Bee Network."
Transport for Greater Manchester ordered hundreds of buses for the Bee Network from UK manufacturers, including Alexander Dennis. The company says 450 low- and zero-emission Alexander Dennis buses have been delivered or ordered for Greater Manchester's franchised network.
Stainbank attacks SNP record on Alexander Dennis
Stainbank contrasted that approach with the Scottish Government's support for zero-emission buses sourced from overseas.
He said:
"The last time John Swinney rocked up in Falkirk he announced £4m that we found out yesterday was never delivered after his Chinese Bus Buying scheme cost 115 jobs in Falkirk."
The £4 million figure refers to a Scottish Government furlough scheme announced in September 2025 after Alexander Dennis warned that up to 400 jobs could be lost. The funding was conditional on the company securing sufficient new orders and was intended to cover 80% of wages during gaps between contracts.
I have not found an authoritative published source confirming Stainbank's latest claim that the £4 million was ultimately "never delivered", so that point should be presented as his claim unless further documentation is available.
115 jobs put at risk in Falkirk
In March, Alexander Dennis announced plans to close its Falkirk facility and concentrate Scottish production at Larbert, putting 115 jobs at risk while retaining around 350 roles in Scotland.
Stainbank had already raised the issue in Parliament in April, arguing that the Scottish Government's zero-emission bus fund had directed the majority of a £45 million funding pot towards Chinese-built buses.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander responded that Labour mayors elsewhere in Britain had demonstrated how publicly backed orders could support domestic bus manufacturing.
Burnham puts procurement at heart of reindustrialisation
Burnham has made using government purchasing power to rebuild British industry a central part of his economic agenda.
In his first speech as Prime Minister, he pledged to pursue:
"Re-industrialising Britain, using public procurement to back British industry."
The Government has since repeated that approach in transport and defence investment, arguing that public spending should generate skilled jobs and stronger domestic supply chains wherever possible.
Burnham has also said his approach applies across all four nations of the UK, promising "good growth in every postcode" and describing reindustrialisation as a UK-wide project.
Falkirk at centre of industrial debate
Alexander Dennis has manufactured buses in Falkirk for generations and remains an important part of Scotland's industrial base. The company's history in the town stretches back to the early development of Alexander buses, with its modern Falkirk operations forming part of one of Britain's largest bus manufacturers.
The dispute over its future has therefore become part of a wider political argument about whether government procurement should give greater weight to domestic manufacturing.
Stainbank's case is that Burnham's Bee Network demonstrates how public transport policy can support both passengers and British manufacturing - and that Falkirk workers should benefit from the same approach at national level.
