Nuclear rivals India and Pakistan are 'on the brink' of war, warns analyst
Tensions are escalating after India launched missiles on Pakistan, two weeks after a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 people. Ravi Agrawal, editor in chief of Foreign Policy, joins Meet the Press NOW to explain the longstanding conflict between the two nuclear powers.May 7, 2025
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Wales Online
2 days ago
- Wales Online
Why Nigel Farage's claim he'll re-open Port Talbot blast furnaces is virtually impossible to achieve
Why Nigel Farage's claim he'll re-open Port Talbot blast furnaces is virtually impossible to achieve There has been no appetite from either UK or Welsh governments, or steelworks owner, Tata, to do so Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, speaking in Port Talbot (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Reform UK says it expects to not only take seats in the Senedd at the election next year, but also win enough to govern Wales. To kickstart its campaign, leader Nigel Farage visited Wales to give a speech in Port Talbot. Made in front of a private audience of a handful of Reform councillors and journalists, Nigel Farage said it was the first public discussion of any policies from Reform. Ahead of it, his team had briefed lines of policies to the media, and given an opinion piece by Mr Farage to WalesOnline with him setting out his plans for Wales. You can read it in full here. That included two particularly eye-catching policies: More coal mining in Wales . Mr Farage says: "We would allow coal, if suitable, to be mined in Wales". . Mr Farage says: "We would allow coal, if suitable, to be mined in Wales". Re-open Port Talbot steelworks. Mr Farage says that "more coal mining" was "part of Reform's long-term ambition to re-open the Port Talbot Steelworks but we know this will not be quick or easy". For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here In his opinion piece, Mr Farage actually said Reform wanted to "re-open" the steelworks. The steelworks at Port Talbot is not closed, but there is a transition from blast furnaces to an electric arc furnace underway. The two remaining blast furnaces were closed in 2024 and there were mass job losses as a result. Article continues below Indian steel giant Tata runs the plant and said it had closed the blast furnaces because they were at the end of their life, huge emitters of CO2, a greenhouse gas, and that it was unsustainable to keep up with financial losses of £1m a day. The company said the new electric arc furnace would reduce emissions and secure the future of any steelmaking at the Port Talbot site. The switch is being funded by £500m of UK Government money with the rest of the £1.25bn investment coming from Tata. Tata said it would produce a different type of steel, but that was something it has market demand for. However, looking at the blast furnace pledge specifically, once a blast furnace is turned off it is all but impossible to turn it back on. That's not only because at the centre of the existing blast furnaces is now a solid, 300 tonne slab of iron, but because the blast furnaces didn't operate in isolation. There was a whole network of other facilities at Tata which were all linked - many of those have been decommissioned and are being stripped. The two blast furnaces, and much of the heavy end of machinery were, Tata, had made clear, at the end of their lives. Blast furnace four, which was the final one to be turned off on September 30, 2024, was completed in January, 1954, and had undergone a number of upgrades and rebuilds including re-linings in 1978 and 1985, and total rebuilds in 1992 and 2013. "Sustaining the current configuration any longer, or further investment in the traditional heavy end was not economically or environmentally viable," the company said when it announced the closure. So, if re-opening the blast furnaces isn't really an option, rebuilding them is the other way Mr Farage could deliver that pledge. Doing that was never an option being discussed by Tata or any government. A ballpark figure would be around £3bn - for comparison, the Welsh Government budget for the next financial year is £26bn - and that "low billions" figure was one Mr Farage himself accepted. It would be a fair summary to say that no-one in government or Tata believes there are the finances or the appetite to rebuild the site in this way. Ed Conway is a Sky journalist who covers the energy sector including the changes at Port Talbot. In an X thread, he wrote: "There is something quite hare-brained about restarting the furnaces at Port Talbot for a few reasons. First and most obviously, it would be REALLY expensive. "Last year the furnaces at Port Talbot were shut down and once shut down blast furnaces are nearly impossible to restart. The entire furnace is filled with a 300 tonne slab of solidified iron. It's gone, essentially. "Today, the furnace is essentially a shell, containing a big lump of iron. Much of the steel mill is gone too. So too are the cranes at the port for iron & coal. "The upshot is there's no button one can press to restart primary steelmaking in Port Talbot. It's gone. Only way to "restart" it as it was would be to rebuild most of the facilities. New furnaces, coke ovens, sinter plant, port cranes etc. That would cost billions. Perhaps £3bn." WalesOnline put to Mr Farage that the blast furnaces were closed after decades of poor investment in the Port Talbot site and the company stating it was losing £1m a day and not due to the price or coal, or where it had been sourced from. We also asked why Reform had made an announcement about Tata, a private company over which neither the UK nor Welsh governments had control. He said it was right to "state an ambition". He was also asked to provide evidence to back up his claim it was doubtful that the electric arc furnace in Port Talbot would ever be switched on. Mr Farage said: "Tata can say what they like, I doubt, in the status quo, that furnace will ever be switched on." As for evidence to back that up, he said: "To turn it on with our energy prices where it is, you'd be producing very, very expensive secondary steel. An EAF is not the real deal but it's better than nothing." During questions, he seemed to accept that it was not up to any government - whether devolved or central - to have any say on re-opening the blast furnaces and he accepted it would cost in the "low billions". "Re-opening a blast furnace is no easy thing, this one has closed, that's the tragedy," he said. "We're going to need cheaper energy, much cheaper local coal, and we're going to need private business partners prepared to come and do a joint venture with government to make it work. "Yes it is going to cost in the low billions to do it and I'm not pretending it will be easy". When it was put to him that there are not billions of pounds in the Welsh Government budget for that, he said: "Once a blast furnace has been closed down to re-open that particular blast furnace is very, very difficult. "Nothing is impossible but it might be difficult. It might be easier build a new one, could a Welsh Government, a Welsh devolved Government do it on its own? It would need some help from a national UK Government too. "That's why I've phrased all this this morning very, very, carefully to not saying we will do this once we're in control in Cardiff, this would be an ambition, we'd need a Westminster government to approve this and, who knows, it could be us in time too, and we need to work with companies as well. But as an ambition it's the right one." He added: "It is difficult to know how much leverage Welsh Government could have over these things". Mr Farage also seemed to qualify the claim in his opinion piece about coal mining when questioned. In the WalesOnline opinion piece he said: "We would allow coal, if suitable, to be mined in Wales", but in the interview he said he was only referencing "specialist small scale" mines. During the press conference, he was asked whether he thought young people would want to work in mines. To that he replied: "If you offer people well paid jobs you'd be surprised how many will take them even though we all accept mining is dangerous". Neither the UK or Welsh government has expressed a desire for coal mining to resume. Article continues below The Coal Authority remains the licensing authority for all coal-mining operations carried out in Wales but Welsh Ministers have overall approval or refusal rights. However, Welsh Government policy is that coal extraction should not be permitted. Any application will be considered, but the Welsh Government is clear, the presumption being against any coal extraction.
Pembrokeshire Herald
2 days ago
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Farage pledges coal revival and steelworks comeback for Wales
Reform leader eyes Senedd victory as critics blast 'fantasy economics' NIGEL FARAGE visited Port Talbot on Monday (June 10), promising to reopen the town's steel blast furnaces and revive Welsh coal mines if Reform UK wins the next Senedd election. Speaking shortly after noon, Farage placed traditional steel-making at the heart of Reform UK's 2026 campaign in Wales, claiming the town had been 'betrayed by 26 years of Labour rule.' 'Our long-term aim is to hopefully reopen Port Talbot steelworks—and instead of importing coal for it, use our own,' Farage told The Mail ahead of his speech. 'Wales needs Reform.' The plan, which includes reopening domestic coal pits to fuel the blast furnaces, comes after Indian-owned Tata Steel confirmed plans to close both blast furnaces at the Port Talbot plant. The company is shifting to a lower-emission electric arc furnace, but this will not be operational until 2028 and will produce less steel overall—prompting warnings of up to 2,800 job losses. Farage framed the proposal as an economic rescue mission and a patriotic industrial policy, aiming to outflank Labour on its traditional turf. His speech marks the latest escalation in Reform's ambition to challenge for power at the 2026 Senedd election, with polls already placing the party above Labour in some regions. But the proposal drew immediate fire from opposition politicians. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds MS accused Farage of peddling fantasy politics while ignoring international realities. 'Nigel Farage has some real cheek to come to Port Talbot and promise them the world while his best mate Donald Trump is threatening to destroy the remnants of our steel industry, with yet more tariffs at the end of this month,' she said. 'Like his idols, Donald Trump and Liz Truss, Nigel Farage would wreck the Welsh economy and local services with unfunded tax cuts and the hollowing out of public services.' Dodds said that while many voters feel abandoned by both Labour in Cardiff and the Conservatives in Westminster, it is the Liberal Democrats who offer realistic local change, especially in health and education. 'In a recent by-election in Neath Port Talbot, we easily beat Reform and pushed Labour into fourth place,' she added. 'Industrial heartlands aren't buying what Reform is selling.' Nigel Farage's calls for Port Talbot's blast furnaces to be reopened are 'more lies from an opportunistic chancer', GMB union has said. Ruth Brady, GMB Regional Secretary, told The Pembrokeshire Herald in a sharply worded statement exactly what he thought of the plan: 'The people of Port Talbot will see this for what it is: more lies from this opportunistic chancer. 'Nigel Farage was happy to let British Steel go to the wall. 'He'll trot out any line when the cameras are rolling. He doesn't care about steel communities or steel workers. 'The deal to shut the blast furnaces was signed and sealed by the last Tory government. 'With the opportunities offered by floating offshore wind and the industrial clusters strategy, it's now time for the Labour government to make good on their promises to our members in Port Talbot. 'We'll be watching the spending review this week closely.' Farage's visit comes just days after party turmoil saw Zia Yusuf resign as Reform chairman, only to return two days later in a redefined leadership role. Monday's rally was seen as an attempt by Farage to reset the campaign and reassert his party's direction. The promise to reopen coal mines will be controversial in Wales, where the last deep coal mine closed in 2008, and the environmental legacy of mining remains raw in many communities. Environmental campaigners have previously warned that such proposals ignore climate commitments and the long-term shift to greener energy. However, supporters at the rally welcomed the focus on jobs and national self-reliance. Local resident Martin Davies, 58, told The Herald: 'We've had enough of broken promises. If someone's talking about proper work and not just cutting back all the time, I'll listen.' Farage ended his speech by warning voters not to let 'the political establishment shut Wales down from the inside out,' and said Reform would 'bring energy, jobs and pride back to this country.' PHOTO CAPTION: Coal comeback: Nigel Farage delivers a speech in Port Talbot promising to revive steel and mining if Reform wins in 2026 (Pic: Farage/Reform/X)
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Wales Online
Nigel Farage on 20mph, coal mining and steel, as he explains vision for future for Wales
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Reform UK leader NIgel Farage has spoken about his vision for the future of Wales, at a press conference today. He took to the stage just after 12pm in Port Talbot, with less than a year until the Senedd elections. His introduction had to be hastily rewritten given the UK Government's announcement, which went live at noon, that the winter fuel payment cuts are being partially reversed. Mr Farage said that Labour "knowing this press conference was taking place", announced they would make a fuel payment announcement at noon, as he was due to speak, but called it a "step in the right direction". He also announced independent councillors Andrew Barry and David Hughes, both members of Merthyr Tydfil council, have joined Reform UK, as they also took to the stage to explain how they had become disillusioned and moved to Reform. The most recent poll for Wales suggests his party is in line to take its first seats in the Senedd at the election in May 2026. Its only representation in Wales at the moment is with councillors, but a YouGov/Barn Cymru poll which asked people their voting intention for the Welsh Parliament in May put Reform UK in second with 25% of the vote. They were only behind Plaid Cymru who were projected to get 30% of the vote and ahead of Labour's 18%, reports Wales Online. In an opinion piece for WalesOnline, the party leader has given his first glimpses of policies ahead of the election. Mr Farage has said the party would allow coal mining again in Wales and says its long term plan is to "reopen the Port Talbot steelworks". The steelworks, owned by Tata, have not closed but its remaining blast furnaces were closed in 2024, with work now ongoing to build an electric arc furnace which will recycle previously-used steel. Thousands of jobs are being lost as part of the change. The Indian-owned company said the blast furnaces were at the end of their operational lives and too expensive to replace. The Port Talbot steelworks were, the company said, losing £1m a day before the blast furnaces were turned off. Reform UK say it would "use Welsh Development Grants to support real industry. We'll redirect economic funding from consultants and NGOs to actual factory floors, machinery, and industrial jobs in places like Llanelli, Shotton, and Ebbw Vale". Nigel Farage has also said the party would also set up "regional technical colleges" for people to have a "path into proper trade". (Image: Getty Images) The party would also, it says, stop any building being used for asylum seeker accommodation, end funding to the Welsh Refugee Council and scrap the Welsh Government's "Nation of Sanctuary". It also vowed to set up an Elon Musk style department to cut costs. "A Reform UK Senedd will also save hundreds of millions each year by cutting bureaucracy, waste and bad management. The establishment of Welsh DOGE will help us uncover where there is woke and wasteful spending and we will make sure those funds are redirected to frontline services," Mr Farage pledges. During the press conference Mr Farage also took aim at the controversial 20mph policy, saying he would reverse it. as he said he doubted the electric arc furnace at the Port Talbot Tata site would "every be switched on", but says their plan is to "reindustrialise Wales". He says in the coming years more steel will be needed and the UK should produce its own steel, and its own coal. "I'm not saying let's open all the pits, there are certain types of coal for certain types of uses, for the blast furnaces, we can use here," Mr Farage said, insisting it would be a small scale, specific mining and not like the "heydays of mining in Wales". Mr Farage also said there would be no going back on devolution, but criticised the running of Wales since. In response, a Welsh Labour spokesperson said: "Nigel Farage has no plans for steel - just a camera crew. You can't restart a blast furnace with a press conference. "Nigel Farage says that hopefully they mightthey'll bring back mining. The people of Wales will see through the false hope and false promises of a public-school boy from England who does not understand them and does not understand Wales. "His answer is to bring back the mines. The only thing Nigel Farage is trying to mine is votes from communities that have already gone through tough times. Nigel Farage has today brought his fantasy politics and magic money tree to Port Talbot. He's gambling with real people's livelihoods." Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
