Scunthorpe: 'Double standards' for English steel, politicians say
Welsh politicians have accused the UK government of double standards over an emergency bill to protect steel in England.In a debate discussing a proposed British Steel law to save a Scunthorpe plant, Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrat MPs criticised the government's plans, saying it had failed to do the same for Port Talbot.Liz Saville-Roberts, Plaid's Westminster leader, said: "Scunthorpe gets security, Port Talbot gets a pittance."The bill has since been approved by Parliament and UK ministers say the two steel works are in different situations, and Port Talbot is in a better position because of the Labour government.
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
South Wales Argus
2 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Senedd hears incoming NRW chair embroiled in rail funding row
Nilesh Sachdev, the Welsh Government's preferred candidate to take the helm at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), appeared before the Senedd's climate committee on June 11. On his CV, Mr Sachdev boasts of securing £6bn of UK Government investment as chair of East West Rail (ERW) which is leading on a new railway between Oxford and Cambridge. The railway was controversially reclassified as a Wales-and-England project by the UK Treasury, denying Wales any consequential funding through the Barnett formula. Llŷr Gruffydd, who chairs the committee, asked: 'I was just wondering whether you have any qualms about… how does it look that potentially the chair of one of the biggest public bodies in Wales is actually spending Welsh money on England-only projects?' During the pre-appointment hearing, Mr Sachdev replied: 'A very fair and reasonable ask, I guess, I think I'll turn it around the other way: what a great opportunity. 'I managed to persuade, through my board and chief executive, to get the government in England to give all that money to East West Rail, I wonder what we could do here. 'So, I think there's an opportunity of saying: how can we, in Wales, put a case forward that makes sure the money that Welsh taxpayers are paying stays here?' Mr Gruffydd pressed concerns about his involvement with ERW, saying: 'I know you don't decide where the money comes from – but you're the guy signing the cheques.' Asked about his motivation for wanting to be chair of NRW, Mr Sachdev pointed to his passion on climate change and a recent move to Bristol. 'In fact, it's quicker to get here than it would be from Abergavenny in the traffic,' he said. He told the committee: 'I want to play a part in a community I dearly respect and have an affection for in an area I deeply care about.' Pressed about his local links, the father of three confirmed he has never lived in Wales but said his wife's grandparents were born in Gower and his son attended Cardiff University."
Western Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Senedd hears incoming NRW chair embroiled in rail funding row
Nilesh Sachdev, the Welsh Government's preferred candidate to take the helm at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), appeared before the Senedd's climate committee on June 11. On his CV, Mr Sachdev boasts of securing £6bn of UK Government investment as chair of East West Rail (ERW) which is leading on a new railway between Oxford and Cambridge. The railway was controversially reclassified as a Wales-and-England project by the UK Treasury, denying Wales any consequential funding through the Barnett formula. Llŷr Gruffydd, who chairs the committee, asked: 'I was just wondering whether you have any qualms about… how does it look that potentially the chair of one of the biggest public bodies in Wales is actually spending Welsh money on England-only projects?' During the pre-appointment hearing, Mr Sachdev replied: 'A very fair and reasonable ask, I guess, I think I'll turn it around the other way: what a great opportunity. 'I managed to persuade, through my board and chief executive, to get the government in England to give all that money to East West Rail, I wonder what we could do here. 'So, I think there's an opportunity of saying: how can we, in Wales, put a case forward that makes sure the money that Welsh taxpayers are paying stays here?' Mr Gruffydd pressed concerns about his involvement with ERW, saying: 'I know you don't decide where the money comes from – but you're the guy signing the cheques.' Asked about his motivation for wanting to be chair of NRW, Mr Sachdev pointed to his passion on climate change and a recent move to Bristol. 'In fact, it's quicker to get here than it would be from Abergavenny in the traffic,' he said. He told the committee: 'I want to play a part in a community I dearly respect and have an affection for in an area I deeply care about.' Pressed about his local links, the father of three confirmed he has never lived in Wales but said his wife's grandparents were born in Gower and his son attended Cardiff University."
Western Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Cardiff University cuts ‘could be repeated,' Senedd hears
Wendy Larner, president and vice-chancellor of Cardiff University, appeared before the Senedd's education committee on June 12 as part of an inquiry on higher education. She told Senedd members universities face an existential moment and the financial headwinds 'continue to blow strongly'. Prof Larner said it is an enormously challenging time for the higher education sector – 'not just here in Wales but in the UK and, indeed, globally'. Patrick Younge, chair of council, warned universities do not have a viable business model, with a tuition-fee freeze costing Cardiff £24m more than its competitors from 2017 to 2024. He said: 'If you don't address the fundamentals, all of the Welsh universities will be going through this year on year on year because income is not rising and expense inevitably rises.' Prof Larner said January's 'academic futures' document – which initially included a target to cut 400 jobs – was the beginning of a genuine consultation. The vice-chancellor confirmed the final plan includes retaining nursing, music and modern languages albeit with smaller cohorts and new models. She told the committee the initial target was scaled back to 220, with 151 academic staff leaving voluntarily: 'This leaves a final reduction of 69 full-time equivalents… by 2029/30. Compulsory redundancies are always a last resort.' Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru's shadow education secretary, questioned the wisdom in proposing changes only to backtrack, 'with resulting damage to staff morale'. Natasha Asghar, the Tory shadow education secretary, pressed the witnesses about the university's plans to open a new campus in Kazakhstan while making cuts at home. Prof Larner replied: 'Transnational education is part of the future for UK universities.' On staff welfare, Prof Larner said: 'We have seen… a little change in stress-related data. As is always the case, the majority of that… refers to personal, not workplace stress. 'But I absolutely understand the challenge here…. I take the well-being of our staff very seriously: this is not easy, change is really difficult.' She criticised the University and College Union for 'blindsiding' the university by going to the press with concerns about a 'total health and safety crisis'.
