LABOUR and Tory politicians may not agree on much, but, encouragingly, they are seeing eye to eye on the possibility of luring Scottish Government employment to Inverclyde.

The prospect of a new Scottish Benefit Agency being created next year has energised politicians around the country as they envisage the juicy prospect of 300 jobs landing on their laps.

The Scottish Government is right to say it will consider sites outside of Edinburgh for the new agency, recognising the national appetite for de-centralising such posts away from the capital.

Dundee is believed to be one of the front-runners, but it has already attracted loads of dosh for its waterfront developments, so somewhere else should get a look-in for the benefits agency.

Both Inverclyde Council’s Labour leader, Councillor Stephen McCabe, and Tory West of Scotland MSP Jamie Greene, are calling for Inverclyde to be considered for the new agency, which looks as if it could be built quite conveniently on a well-known, ready-made site owned already by the Scottish Government.

The land earmarked for the abandoned women’s prison on busy Inverkip Road is being taken over gradually by grass, and looks utterly forlorn and crying out for attention.

The Scottish Government ditched plans for the prison after spending £7.7 million on designing it, and buying and clearing the former Greenock High ground.

There seems to be no planned use for it, so now is their chance to make good on their investment  and give benefits to Inverclyde.