FORMER Prime Minister Gordon Brown is set to describe the prospect of Fife missing out on thousands of wind farm jobs as a "national scandal" at an event in Dunfermline.

Fife's jobs of the future will be a key theme at the launch of Mr Brown's new book, 'Fife: A History for the Earliest Times to the Present Day' at Dunfermline Abbey tomorrow (Friday), co-authored by broadcaster and historian Alistair Moffat.

In a few days, a decision will be made on a contract for 50 wind farm turbine jackets which could see jobs going to Indonesia instead of coming here to Fife.

Mr Brown's book traces the decline of mining, linen, electronics and defence work in Fife and he is set to demand that a special effort is made to secure engineering jobs, particularly manufacturing for wind turbines, just off the local coastline.

Mr Brown will say: "It is nothing less than a national scandal that the contract for billions of pounds of wind farms a few miles off the coast of Fife is tipped to be awarded to an Indonesian yard 7,000 miles away.

"That is despite promises from both Scottish and UK governments that 60 per cent of offshore renewable work would come to workers and communities here.

"Near to my home the once-vibrant Burntisland and Methil yards that for years built up an expertise in wind turbines are lying empty.

"And in a devastating blow to to Scottish workers, the French state-owned company EDF is likely to short-change local firms when their main contractor awards Indonesia the manufacturing work for the NnG offshore wind farm.

"The contracts for jackets, part of a £2 billion renewables North Sea investment, are for wind turbines to be located just 10 miles off the Fife coast.

"The work has the potential to create 1,000 green jobs – and some estimates are nearer 2,000.

"Yet this – the one major infrastructure project that is ready to build in Scotland next year – is likely to yield only a fraction of its potential jobs for Scottish manufacturing yards.

"And what will make every family really angry is that we, the British public, are all paying – soon £520 per family per year – in a special energy level to fund the work that is about to be sent overseas.

"Burntisland and Methil yards are desperate for the work."

Discussion will also focus on sporting, leisure, education and transport history - with a special section on Andrew Carnegie whose UK trust with the support of former UK chair Angus Hogg has helped fund the project.

Tickets for the event cost £5 but if you also order a book, entry will cost £12.

You can buy from https://dunfermlineabbey.com/wwp/?event=the-incredible-history-of-fife