SNP minister Jim Mather agrees to meet threatened Blindcraft workers

Enterprise minister Jim Mather has agreed to meet with Blindcraft staff to discuss ways to save the business. The Craigmillar bed factory was the centre of debate this morning in the Scottish Parliament during a wider debate on sheltered employment. Workers from the factory watched on from the public gallery as MSPs had what developed into an emotive discussion about subsidised disabled employment. Mather pledged to do his "level best" and use his own personal time during the parliamentary recess to meet with his SNP colleagues in the Edinburgh administration to consider positive ways forward for the threatened factory and its workforce. The meeting idea was proposed by local MSP George Foulkes, who said he could see other ways to save the £700,000 proposed by the council in shutting Blindcraft. He said: "I would suggest the council could delay the consultation period and I can give them half a dozen ways to save the money without the closure of Blindcraft." A motion put forward by Labour calling for support for similar projects across Scotland was accepted and welcomed by all parties. Lewis Macdonald MSP said: "I want to see the SNP publish a timetable and deliver on it. It's no good just issuing advice and directives – ministers need to follow up on their promises. "The seriousness of the situation at Blindcraft is clear and present and the minister needs to tell his colleagues on SNP-controlled Edinburgh Council to extend the consultation period and to meet with all sides to find a way forward. "Ministers cannot wash their hands of Blindcraft and they need to do everything possible to keep this business open. "Minister made a pledge to get behind supported employment workplaces – it's now time for deliver not just more warm words." Jim Mather appeared to be taking note of every contribution and said on more than one occasion that he would try his best to meet the council-owned firm. He said: "We will bring forward a time table. We want this not to be tokenism, we want this to be real and generate more successful businesses. "I am very much motivated to meet with Blindcraft and will do my level best to make that happen. "I reiterate my commitment to Blindcraft - we will go and look to see what we can do on that. The likes of the city council and the DWP and Glencraft from Aberdeen should be there too. I will do my level best next week in the recess, I am prepared to put time into that, but we must do this together in a constructive way." The debate was followed by a chance for politicians to meet with Blindcraft staff and campaigners outsdie the parliament. Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray spoke to Guardian Edinburgh and we will post the interview in full later.