The ‘Watt’ room

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil is campaigning for Scots inventor James Watt to be commemorated in the Scottish Parliament.

A competition was launched this week to find ‘Great Scots’ to name the Parliament’s six committee rooms after.

Mr McNeil has proposed the grandfather of the industrial revolution, James Watt, who played an integral part in the development of the steam engine.

The MSP thinks the Greenock-born inventor has a strong case for inclusion and believes it would be good for the town.

He said: “James Watt is a hugely significant figure in Scottish history and his work made a major impact on all our lives.

“We are reminded of his Greenock roots all over the town, in the college, in the docks and the library.

“I can’t think of a more fitting nominee for this honour and I think it would great for the town that its most famous son was remembered in the Scottish Parliament.”

The six ‘Great Scots’ will be announced in the New Year.