At first glance it may look like a summer storm in a whisky glass. But the political furore sparked by Diageo’s announcement that it is to shed 900 packaging and distillery jobs has forced a flagship Scottish industry on the defensive.

Amid a furious reaction by trade unionists and Holyrood parliamentarians alike, whisky executives have offered to take part in a summit about the future of the industry – a gathering proposed by the GMB union and praised as a constructive idea by the Scottish government.