Graham is seeking an urgent meeting with Ministers after INEOS announced it is mothballing all three of its chemical plants at Saltend.
The announcement is another serious blow to industry in the Humber, coming little more than a year after the closure of the neighbouring Vivergo bioethanol plant.
INEOS employs 245 people directly at its Hull site. The company says a permanent closure could affect close to 4,000 jobs across Humberside.
Workers are being kept on while INEOS tries to secure cheaper gas and restart production.
Graham has worked with INEOS for years and has been meeting the company regularly over recent months as the pressures facing its Saltend plants have grown.
In October 2025, Graham met INEOS Acetyls CEO David Brooks and Business Minister Sir Chris Bryant to discuss international competition facing the chemicals industry.
Since then, Graham has continued working with INEOS, px Group, Ministers and regulators over the future of Saltend.
INEOS says high UK gas prices have made production at the three plants uneconomic. Gas is particularly important because it is used both for energy and as a raw material in production.
The plants make acetic acid, acetic anhydride and ethyl acetate. These chemicals are used in products including medicines, clothing, cosmetics, detergents and construction materials, as well as military explosives.
The announcement follows the closure of Vivergo’s neighbouring bioethanol plant last year.
Graham campaigned to save Vivergo before its closure, meeting workers and Ministers, visiting the plant and pressing the Government to protect the industry.
He is now seeking an urgent meeting with Ministers to discuss what can be done to get the INEOS plants producing again and secure their long-term future at Saltend.
Andrew Bowie MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, said:
“This is another warning that Britain cannot keep loading costs onto industry and expect businesses to carry on regardless.
“Labour promised growth, but manufacturers are being squeezed by energy costs that make it harder to compete with America and China. When production stops, it is skilled workers and industrial communities like those on the Humber that pay the price.
“Graham has been fighting for Saltend and working closely with INEOS for months. Ministers now need to show they understand the seriousness of this and set out how they will bring down the cost of energy for British industry.
“We should be making more things in Britain, not making it harder to make things in Britain.”
Graham said:
“This is a sad day for Saltend and another serious blow for industry in our area after the closure of Vivergo.
“I’ve worked with INEOS for years and have been meeting them regularly over recent months as the pressures on these plants have grown.
“My thoughts today are first with the people who work there and their families. I’m pleased INEOS is keeping its workforce in place while it tries to secure cheaper gas and get these plants producing again.
“But this goes far beyond the plant gates. Saltend supports skilled jobs, apprenticeships and businesses across the Humber. If we lose major industries like this, we don’t just lose jobs. We lose skills and experience that have taken generations to build.
“What happens in Westminster can sometimes feel a long way from East Yorkshire, but decisions about energy and trade have consequences here. They affect whether plants stay open, whether businesses invest and whether people have good jobs to go to.
“British industry is struggling with high energy costs. I want to see these plants producing again, which is why I am seeking an urgent meeting with Ministers to discuss what can be done to secure their future.”
