About the only thing that has become evident in the mad scramble for cover since Thursday's confirmation that the Grangemouth refinery will close in the second quarter of next year is this: the first law of nature is undoubtedly self-preservation, no more so than in business and politics.

It seems all but certain the century-old operation is set for closure, but step forward Falkirk East MSP Michelle Thomson who claims there is a North American buyer who might make a serious offer for the refinery that would save all of the 400 jobs set to be axed. The operative word here is "might", and at any rate the whole thing is bound up in non-disclosure agreements, so we might or might not hear more about this at some point in the future.

Read more:

'Devastating' Grangemouth move puts jobs the length of Scotland 'at risk'

Lightning strikes from the clouds looming over Grangemouth

Then there's the UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband who took to Twitter -........

© Herald Scotland