Scunthorpe: 'Double standards' for English steel, politicians say
Traditional steel production in Wales came to an end in September, with the loss of some 2,800 jobs at Tata Steel's Port Talbot plant.The site is now transitioning to greener steel production with a new electric arc furnace, which requires fewer workers to run, expected to be in place from 2027.The closure of the blast furnaces was controversial in Wales, with Plaid politicians calling for nationalisation of the steel works.Speaking during the debate, Ms Saville-Roberts said Wales' first minister Eluned Morgan had dismissed her party's calls for nationalisation of Welsh steel as "pipe dreams"."This government did not intervene in Wales," she said.
"Plaid Cymru believes Port Talbot could and should have received equal treatment alongside Scunthorpe."The measures we are debating today would have been able to be used to save the blast furnaces at Tata Steel in Wales."People in Wales will not forget today, today is a day of bitter, bitter disappointment for Port Talbot."Speaking to BBC Wales, Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens described the situation at the plant in Scunthorpe as being "very different" to that in Port Talbot. "It's the only site in the UK where virgin steel is made, and that's why it's a matter of national importance, strategic importance," said Ms Stevens.
David Chadwick, spokesperson for the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said the closure of the blast furnaces had started a decline in economic activity south Wales that affected his constituency. He said: "It's rubbing salt in the wounds for the people of Port Talbot to now hear the government acknowledge the importance of primary steel production as a strategic national asset"Where was this urgency when Welsh steel communities were crying out for support, when Tata Steel announced over 2,800 job losses in Port Talbot last year, the largest steel works in the country, a key strategic asset, the manufacturing heart of south Wales."Mr Chadwick, MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, whose grandfather worked in the blast furnaces, added: "The simple fact is this, the government did not recall parliament for Port Talbot. It did not recall parliament for Wales."When crisis hits in Wales, it's tolerated."When it hits elsewhere, it becomes a national emergency."
In a post on X, Tom Giffard, Conservative MS for south west Wales, said steel workers in Port Talbot were promised a Labour government would change everything for the steel industry."They then sold them down the river by changing nothing, and only taking action when jobs elsewhere were under threat. Labour simply doesn't care about south Wales," he added. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told the Commons the Port Talbot deal was negotiated by the previous Conservative government."We were not able to reopen the deal, but we did negotiate a better deal," he said.Speaking on BBC Breakfast ahead of the debate, the industry minister, Sarah Jones, said: "When we came into government, there was a deal on the table with Tata Steel in Port Talbot."We negotiated in 10 weeks a much better deal, but there was a private company willing to invest, who are now investing."We have maintained 5,000 jobs on the site and there will be a future for that site with an electric arc furnace."There is no such deal on the table at the moment [for Scunthorpe], that's what is different."The other difference is that these are the last blast furnaces making primary steel that we have in this country, and also what is different of course is that the world is changing."As we have seen with the Prime Minister's support for our defence industry in recent times, we need to ensure as a country we have sovereign capability to make steel, and that is what we are securing today."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Plans for tyre plant in Swansea opposed by nearly 1,000 people set to be rejected
Plans for tyre plant in Swansea opposed by nearly 1,000 people set to be rejected A company hoped to build the new facility at an industrial park but the plans didn't go down well in the area The UK generates millions of waste tyres each year which need recycling (Image:) A permit for a planned tyre incineration plant in Swansea which nearly 1,000 people opposed is to be turned down. A company called Tyregen UK Ltd wanted to process around 7,650 tonnes of waste tyres per year at Westfield Industrial Estate, Waunarlwydd. Tyregen UK said its tyre incineration method, called pyrolysis, would separate the oil and black powder which went into their manufacture. The powder would then be used by tyre companies in new tyres. Some of the gas captured as part of the process would be reused at the plant with the remainder treated before being released into the atmosphere via a chimney stack. Planning permission is in place to process waste tyres and plastics at the site, but Tyregen UK needed an environmental permit. A total of 975 people objected to the permit application - there was one letter in support - and Swansea Council has now published a draft decision turning down the application. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here Waunarlwydd councillor Wendy Lewis, who was one of the objectors, said she'd had lots of messages and was very grateful about the decision, which is subject to consultation until August 25. "It is a great relief," she said. Gowerton councillor Dai Jenkins, who lives in Waunarlwydd, was also against the permit plan. His objection said: "I realise this incinerator would be managed correctly, however, accidents happen, and if that was the case smoke would be all over Waunarlwydd and Gowerton, so on behalf of my ward residents I object to the granting of a licence." Article continues below Reacting to the draft refusal, Cllr Jenkins said he'd always believed the location of the proposed facility was wrong. "I don't know anyone in the village who is for it," he said. The council's decision said the refusal was on basis of what it felt was "insufficient technical competence" and "inadequate environmental management systems". The Local Democracy Reporting Service has contacted Tyregen UK for comment. The company has previously said that the proposed 30m by 8m facility would be enclosed within a larger industrial building except for the chimney stack. Speaking last September a Tyregen UK spokesman said: "The operation is fundamentally about recycling, and therefore preserving the valuable components of a used tyre, so we absolutely won't be burning any tyres." Article continues below The council's decision will be final within five working days of August 25 if no consultation representations are received, and 15 days or longer if representations are received. Tyregen UK can appeal to the Welsh Government planning environment and decisions Wales (PEDW) body. It has been estimated that around 50 million waste tyres need recycling every year in the UK, and many are exported overseas.
Business News Wales
2 hours ago
- Business News Wales
WRU Outlines Consultation on Future of Elite Rugby in Wales
The Welsh Rugby Union has published its promised formal consultation document into the future of elite rugby in Wales, identifying a 'proposed optimal system' which will be subject to a wide-ranging discussion, to include players, professional clubs, fans and community clubs across the country. The formal consultation, which begins on 1st September, will seek to address the key challenges facing Welsh rugby and the impact this is having on the performance of our professional and national teams. The WRU executive has considered the system changes required and various options to achieve these and has presented a proposed optimal system to the WRU Board. The Board has asked for this consultation so they can look at the evidence and views from all our stakeholders before they make a decision in October. The proposed optimal system contains five interconnected elements which are designed to address systemic transformation across Welsh elite rugby. Throughout the month, the WRU will formally consult with key stakeholders directly impacted by any potential change to the current structure. This includes the four professional men's clubs, the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) the Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA), players (both senior men's and women's) and the Supporters' Groups associated with the four professional sides as well as WRU member clubs and representatives of the United Rugby Championship (URC). A wide-ranging engagement programme will also run in tandem to the formal consultation to seek views from the entire rugby community from fans to partners and sponsors, related institutions and governing bodies. Speaking about the consultation, WRU CEO Abi Tierney, said: 'We are clear that the current rugby model in Wales is no longer delivering what our game needs. That's why we're inviting views on the opportunities for change we've put forward — so we can bring the One Wales Strategy to life. 'This consultation is about listening. No decisions have been made, and it's crucial that we work together. Every voice matters, including, critically, our professional clubs, and everyone must have a seat at the table to help shape the future of rugby in Wales.' As part of this process, the WRU's executive team, spearheaded by Director of Rugby and Elite Performance, Dave Reddin, has developed a proposed optimal system for the professional game. This new system is designed to build the foundations for a stronger future through systematic transformation across the game, and lead to a sustainable upturn in performance at professional and national team level in both the men's and the women's games. WRU Director of Rugby and Elite Performance, Dave Reddin said: 'This is a genuine consultation process and while we have our own ideas based on the research we have done, we know the best solutions come from listening. 'The approach we have designed is respectful, thorough, and inclusive and we encourage people to challenge our ideas and help us create something that we can all get behind.' As part of the conversation, the consultation will explore the high-performance benefits, financial sustainability, and feasibility of investing substantially in the rugby ecosystem in Wales and of the four different professional club models. As part of this, the future club model will be viewed through the lens of needing to secure the on-field success and the long-term financial sustainability of the whole game in Wales. The models being presented, are: Model A, Four Professional clubs with unequal funding Model B, Three Professional clubs with equal funding Model C, Three Professional clubs with unequal funding Model D, Two Professional clubs with equal funding The proposed optimal system seems to link best to Model D which focuses playing talent and resources into two professional clubs, each in turn running two professional teams – one men's and one women's side. The system will have the single goal of creating a 'winning-Wales' across the game. However, we recognise that there are alternatives including investing less in some of the wider systems changes which would then bring other models into focus. If the two-club scenario is chosen it would release significant investment which, together with the substantial improvement in the WRU's financial position over the last two years, would be used to enhance the existing semi-professional Super Rygbi Cymru league, narrowing the gap between Wales' leading heritage clubs and the elite professional game. Crucially, we would also invest in accelerating the growth of the women's game whilst also boosting the academy structure and player pathways feeding into the professional teams. In addition, the creation of a national campus, a central element of the proposed optimal system, would create an aspirational, world-class environment, designed for innovation and collaboration, becoming the training base for national teams, national academies and the two professional clubs. 'The national campus would be a purposeful, collaborative space, a uniquely Welsh environment that other top tier nations would find difficult to replicate, creating a sustainable, collaborative space that provides the competitive advantage needed to increase our performance levels in all aspects of the game from playing to coaching', adds Reddin. The consultation also acknowledges the importance of the community game and schools' rugby, but they are not included within the scope of this consultation, however support for education of elite players is considered as an essential part the funnel into the elite pathway. The Women's game is a major focus of the One Wales strategy with significant work already undertaken and underway. The consultation reinforces the WRU's commitment to the Women's game which would be accelerated through the recommendations made as part of previous work. Speaking about the consultation process, WRU Chair, Richard Collier-Keywood said: 'I am pleased to see that this consultation includes listening to people from all aspects of the game in Wales. Every player and fan story starts somewhere, and we have encouraged our teams to get a full range of views from grassroots through pathways, up to elite level. 'The important thing for us as a Board is that, when we are presented with an updated recommendation in October, we know we will have listened and considered all the feedback and options before making a decision. 'We have a once in a generation opportunity to get this right and create an exciting future for our game and this is a responsibility we are taking extremely seriously.' How you can get involved: The Consultation will run from the 1st to 26th September with a number of ways to get involved. The wider rugby community will be encouraged to take part online, via the One Wales strategy website where they can get access, from 20th August, to review the full proposal as well as watch an exclusive interview with Abi Tierney and Dave Reddin as they talk through the consultation process and the proposed optimal system. From 1st September an online survey will open, allowing fans to share their views directly with the WRU. View The Future of Elite rugby in Wales Consultation document here.
Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Wales Online
The key concerns put to WRU and the answers bosses gave on huge day
The key concerns put to WRU and the answers bosses gave on huge day A host of proposals that would change the face of Welsh rugby have been put forward - with a consultation period now beginning Picture shows left to right Richard Collier-Keywood, WRU Chairman, Dave Reddin, WRU Director of Rugby and Elite Performance and Abi Tierney, WRU Chief Executive (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd) The Welsh Rugby Union put forward their 'optimal system' of two teams on Wednesday for the future of the game in this country. In essence, it is a set of proposals going out to consultation, outlining radical change but stopping short of saying it is what will be happening. A reduction in professional clubs, an improved Super Rygbi Cymru and a shared training base for professional rugby in Wales - all on the cards. But crucially, no final decisions made just yet. As such, when Welsh Rugby Union independent chair Richard Collier-Keywood, chief executive Abi Tierney and director of rugby and elite performance Dave Reddin sat down with the media on Wednesday, there was little in the way of concrete material to get into - with everything delving into the world of hypotheticals. Over two decades from the last sweeping change to the domestic game, there was no David Moffett-figure barging into the room, dictating exactly what would happen. Funnily enough, one of the few answers that was absolute on Wednesday was that the WRU hasn't spoken to Moffett, who recently sidled back into Welsh rugby through his involvement with the Scarlets' new investors, House of Luxury. As the dust settles on the Union's 'optimal system' of two teams being confirmed officially, here's how the governing body responded to some of the key issues at hand and the concerns already raised by fans. How do we get to two? Collier-Keywood is adamant that the key question isn't around 'four, three or two', but rather a host of key decisions beyond the number of professional teams in Wales. Article continues below However, as much as they will want to focus on other things, the fact of the matter is that the 'four, three or two' question is what people will focus on. It's only natural when jobs are on the line. In terms of how we will get to two, there's no answer yet on that one. Instead, the focus from the WRU hierarchy is whether or not two will even be the final decision. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "I think that the first step is to look at the model that we've proposed, and then depending on where we get to, we can start to really focus on locations and names and all those really important elements of it," said Reddin. "But we're going to go through that step by step and I don't want to pre-empt any of that at this stage. Instead, all we know is when the board will make their decision - with that coming at some point in October. "That's my commitment to this process," added Collier-Keywood. "We will corral the board and we'll spend whatever time we need to together listening to what's come out the consultation, listening to the exact new proposal on the back of the consultation information. I guess it then depends what they propose. "And the two model is probably a bit harder to implement than and you'll see when you look at the more detailed pack, we ask the exec to think about three things in considering the four or the three or the two type model. "One was high performance, the second was commercial and the third was the ease of implementation, the transition stuff. And so you'll see in there that, depending on which option it is, it could take us a while to get there. "Our desire is to get there as quickly as possible, because we obviously believe that a change is required for what should be. The purpose of the consultation is to find out the form of that change, and then we will implement with all speed possible to get to that final answer." When asked again directly which two teams they would 'condemn to death', Collier-Keywood added: "We don't know whether we're condemning two teams to death, three teams to death, no teams to death, or whether it's all four teams, and there'll be two new operations emerging from it. That's the purpose of the consultation." The reaction amid more upheaval - is a strike an option? Players have been been fed dribs and drabs in recent weeks, hearing conflicting things within Welsh rugby's rumour mill. For example, the Ospreys were told recently that two was a likely outcome, with some important people thought to favour Swansea as a location. Undoubtedly, other sides have heard other things. There are other models within the WRU's 90-page consultation document, including those featuring three professional men's teams in Wales. That's understood to be the Welsh Rugby Player Association's preferred option, although the union document insists the chances of success are stronger with two sides. As such, it's not unreasonable to question whether a player strike - given the loss of playing opportunities at stake - could be on the cards. "Of course we've spoken about that, we want to closely engage with the players," said Reddin. "We started last evening, we're going to run as many meetings as possible with the players so that they understand the perspective and the opportunity. "What I would hope and you know early indications are positive that people really want to listen and be engaged in what the great wealth system going forwards could look like. So we want to work really closely and communicate with them because of course a strike would be a disaster for everybody. "I've experienced that with England where I've been many years ago, it was not a good time and I don't think it would take our agenda forward but I think that the guys last night asked really intelligent questions, really engaged in the process. And I think they understand the big picture, so I hope that's really going to take us to a good place. "I understand it is tough. It's not the ideal timing, but I think we can't wait any longer. We need to move forward to what the future can look like." As for the reaction of fans, you don't need to search for too long to find overwhelming outrage over the suggesting of going down to two. In fairness, change is rarely welcomed in Welsh rugby - even if WRU bosses insist there is an appetite for it. "All the fans that I speak to, and I speak to a lot, agree that we need to do something radically different," said Tierney. "We have put a proposal out there to be shot at – please shoot at it, and shoot at it constructively, because I can't remember somebody yet who hasn't said we need to do something different or change." Heavier WRU influence - but ripping up the system for £7.8m-a-year? One of the facets that has already caused consternation amongst regional fans is the suggestion of heavy WRU influence within the professional clubs moving forward. The preferred choice for the Union would be to control the rugby side of matters, with private investors owning the club and taking the commercial profits. Tierney compared it to the New Zealand licence model, adding that talks with benefactors would take place to understand the "emotional connections that they want to maintain" How current benefactors would feel about not having any input in the rugby part of the business - given the WRU admitted in their 90-odd page plan that the professional clubs are currently, without external funding, not viable businesses given commercial and competition income covers around only 50 per cent of costs - remains to be seen. "We're in dialogue with existing team owners about this proposal and we expect them to input to it," added Collier-Keywood. "As I said before, we obviously want more control on the rugby side, so we're in dialogue with them. There's going to be a continuum on that matter. "We also, as many of you know, asked for expressions of interest in Cardiff and we had several, so there's also some other potential investors out there as well, which we are cognisant of. At the end of the day, we want an investable proposition. "We don't want to have to face the situation again where the clubs in Wales are struggling financially and one of the graphs (in the pack released by the WRU) is looking at our performance against the money we put in and it's quite clear that from 2019 onwards our performance has fallen off a cliff in terms of the men's elite game and you know that is the time when money was cut dramatically into Welsh rugby and we're still struggling to recover from that. "We will be releasing our financial results in a couple of weeks time. I hope you see there that we've turned the finances around in the WRU. We're now doing a lot better financially than we were compared to where we were two years ago and so we have some money to invest and this is a good time for us to go and consult how we want to invest that money collectively on behalf of large rugby." Whether that means there's enough money to invest properly in Welsh rugby remains to be seen. The WRU's 'optimal system' promises higher budgets and less of a reliance on private investors - but £7.8m-a-year is less than the Scarlets had the year after they won the Pro12 title back in 2017. And, while the WRU might say it compares well to English and French clubs (leagues with salary caps), it wouldn't make them the biggest-spenders in the United Rugby Championship. Two teams, but what competition? That brings us neatly onto the question in Welsh rugby. What league will four, three or two clubs be playing in a few years down the line? It's the go-to question, dominating the agenda for over a quarter of a century. But now, more than ever, it's very, very pertinent. If Welsh rugby is to make a system whereby private ownership only benefits from commercial profits, then it needs to play in a competition that brings those financial rewards. It's not a stretch to say that the Gallagher PREM offers that more than the United Rugby Championship, particularly given the latter's apparent stretch for American teams. Of course, the WRU's allegiances currently lie with the URC. The bizarre scenario of two WRU-funded - surviving, if you like - teams remaining in the URC, while the remaining two head over the bridge to find solace in England was put to Reddin, Tierney and Collier-Keywood. Perhaps surprisingly, it wasn't shot down immediately - even if Tierney eventually admitted that it was "getting way into the future of hypotheticals". She went on to suggest the idea two clubs that were no longer supported by WRU could play in the English Premiership franchise would be "very, very difficult," to make happen given the minimum standards and salary requirements. As for the prospect of the chosen clubs being offered up a way into an Anglo-Welsh league someway down the line, that was met with a straight bat from Reddin. "I think that we've got to think bigger picture longer term," he said. "In the short term that's not a viable option. "So I think what we're dealing with is what we've got at the moment. We've competed in the URC, that's our focus, we want to be winning the URC, that's the ambition." 'Unashamedly a radical decision' - a new 'national campus' Clearly the part Reddin is most excited about is the creation of a new shared 'national campus' which would house - should the optimal system be implemented - two professional men's clubs and the men's national team. "The campus is about creating a defensive moat for Welsh rugby," said Reddin. "It's about creating competitive advantage in the future. Quite how the campus would be funded or where it would even be built remains to be seen. Reddin has previous experience of a similar base with St George's Park at the Football Association. He admitted he had drawn a little from that, as well as other experiences from different sports around the world. However, this would be the first of its kind in rugby - with two professional teams and the national team training out of the same building - with initial plans showing six pitches, two indoor 4G pitches, shared facilities such as medical, S&C and catering spaces, and then environments solely for individual teams. "At its essence, the proposal is about how do we really supercharge collaboration and alignment? How do we really bring people together? "Because, as I said in the intro, for a small nation, with real proximity, we haven't done that very well. So we need to think about how do we do that differently. It hasn't worked well through an agreement. There's inherent frictions there. It hasn't worked well just by force of personalities. "What are we gonna do better and differently to any other nation if we believe we can out-compete them? Because performance is a dynamic environment. "All of our competitors, whether we are clubs or whether we are national teams, are not sitting on their hands doing nothing for the next five years. I think what we want us to what I want us to focus on is what advantages do we have in Wales and how do we supercharge those advantages." It is a radical part of the plan that Reddin admitted afterwards he was expecting pushback on. For him, clearly, the message to the public is to look past the perceived flaws and see the possible opportunities. Improving Super Rygbi Cymru If there is to be a reduction in the number of professional clubs, that will only serve to increase the reliance on Super Rygbi Cymru as a pathway. Reddin expressed his desire to grow the league in a similar way to the NPC in New Zealand or the Championship in England, with the WRU at pains to state that any cut in teams would open up added funding for the SRC. Collier-Keywood also believes that the league could offer a greater affinity for fans, should the number of sides at the top level be reduced. "I think there's obviously a danger that everyone is focused on the 'four, three or two' question but I would encourage you to look at a holistic change that's being proposed here," he said. "For example, we previously had a wider group of historic clubs that everyone would call 'the real clubs'. "Several times in this role, people have said to me the regions are not clubs in the same way. This proposal does include a significant investment into the SRC clubs to try and create that additional element of pathway that we've lacked in Wales that has really caused some difficulty in the past with bringing through elite players. Article continues below "We're trying to fix the whole system as opposed to just to focus on the 'four three or two' question."
