
British steel production to be classed ‘critical' to national security
British steel production is to be designated as critical to the UK's national security, under plans to secure billions of pounds of orders for new wind farms, rail links and other infrastructure projects.
In an attempt to prop up domestic production, ministers are drawing up new rules that would allow public bodies to buy British steel, even if cheaper alternatives are available from abroad.
President Trump announced a wave of tariffs during a press conference at the Rose Garden on April 2
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP
Industry sources have warned that steel prices in the UK have fallen by as much as 10 per cent because foreign steel exporters had diverted products that had been destined for the US to other markets.
They warned the situation was likely to become critical next month when the European Union clamps down on steel imports to shield its domestic industry from global oversupply and falling prices.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Telegraph
25 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Baroness Cash warns Employment Bill could 'bring the country to its knees'
Angela Rayner is on record as saying she wants to repeal all the union laws since the seventies, to take us back to the seventies' On the latest Planet Normal podcast, which you can listen to using the audio player below, columnists Liam Halligan and Allison Pearson discuss Labour's Employment Rights Bill, currently being discussed in the House of Lords. They are joined by Conservative peer Baroness Cash, who has raised concerns it could have severe consequences for small and medium-sized businesses. A key issue is the proposed removal of the threshold for strike ballots. 'You could have two people voting for a strike… we could be bringing businesses and the country to its knees with tiny minorities of people,' she said. Baroness Cash also criticised the lack of exemptions for small firms. '60% of our workforce is employed by micro and small businesses… You could have a handful of people bringing the whole thing to a standstill.' On the issue of day one rights for unfair dismissal, she said: 'At the moment… legally you can't bring a claim for unfair dismissal before two years… the idea that from day one, you walk into a workplace and you have day one rights for unfair dismissal… is just an extraordinary retro thing to do.'


Scottish Sun
40 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
M&S has made a huge change at ALL cafes and shoppers will be fuming
We reveal what the change means for diners at its 300-plus cafes PRICED OUT M&S has made a huge change at ALL cafes and shoppers will be fuming Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) M&S has made a huge change at all cafes and shoppers will be fuming. Prices at the Percy Pig makers in-store cafes have risen by up to 20%, with the cost of a Gastro Fish & Chips meal increasing by £2. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 M&S has raised prices across its in-store cafes Credit: Alamy It's beer battered fish, served with chips, petit pois and tartar sauce used to cost £9.95 in August 2024. But its most updated menu for June 2025 shows the cost of the beloved British dish has risen to £11.95 across sites. The price of a single portion of chips at the cafe has also increased by 50p, now costing £2.50. And fans of its brekkie are forking out more too. M&S's All Day Big Breakfast, served with sausages, bacon, soft poached eggs, tomatoes, potato rosti, baked beans and toast, used to cost £9.50. But punters are now paying an extra 45p for the hefty morning meal. Elsewhere, toast with jam and butter now costs £3.75 up from £3.50 and a breakfast ciabatta's was £4.95 but now costs £5.25. The posh retailer has also shaken up what is served on menus, axing its nutty granola bowl priced at £4.25. This has been replaced with a Berry Bliss granola bowl that costs 70p more. An M&S spokesperson told The Sun: " We're committed to providing trusted value for our customers by mitigating and offsetting as much of the current food inflation as we can. Shoppers race to M&S as one of their best selling items which is a mum-essential viral are scanning for just 63 PENCE "We are working hard to ensure we offer a wide range of price points and options for our customers, never compromising on the M&S quality they expect." It is not uncommon for restaurants, cafés and grocery stores to raise prices due to increased operational costs, including hikes to National Insurance contributions and wages. M&S has previously faced ridicule for hiking the cost of popular items, such as Percy Pigs. Shoppers were outraged after it was discovered a 170g of the iconic sweet treat had been hiked by 10p, now costing £2. The bestselling sweets have undergone a 33% price hike since 2017 when a packet cost just £1.50. MORE PRICE RISES M&S is not the only retailer hiking costs for customers. Earlier this year, Morrisons also increased the cost of a number popular menu items in its cafés. The Full Breakfast was hiked by 25p to £7, while its sweet Stacked Pancakes have risen by £4.25 to £4.50. The price of a Ultimate Fish, Chips & Mushy Peas has increased by £7.75 to £8.50. Meanwhile, battered sausages, chips and mushy peas increased from £6 to £6.50. Greggs increased the price of a sausage roll to £1.30 nationally at the start of the year. The rise means that the Brit favourite jumped by more than a third since it cost £1 in 2022. At some travel locations, such as London Bridge, the price of a sausage roll has increased from £1.50 to £1.55. Elsewhere, Costa Coffee has hiked the price of a brew across its hospital concessions. An audit by our investigators found that a small latte or cappuccino costs £3.90 and a medium £4.10 at Medivest's Royal Victoria Infirmary's Costa Coffee outlet in Newcastle. That's a 10p increase on February 2025 prices and a 20p more compared with high street prices just yards down the road.


The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
M&S has made a huge change at ALL cafes and shoppers will be fuming
M&S has made a huge change at all cafes and shoppers will be fuming. Prices at the Percy Pig makers in-store cafes have risen by up to 20%, with the cost of a Gastro Fish & Chips meal increasing by £2. 1 It's beer battered fish, served with chips, petit pois and tartar sauce used to cost £9.95 in August 2024. But its most updated menu for June 2025 shows the cost of the beloved British dish has risen to £11.95 across sites. The price of a single portion of chips at the cafe has also increased by 50p, now costing £2.50. And fans of its brekkie are forking out more too. M&S's All Day Big Breakfast, served with sausages, bacon, soft poached eggs, tomatoes, potato rosti, baked beans and toast, used to cost £9.50. But punters are now paying an extra 45p for the hefty morning meal. Elsewhere, toast with jam and butter now costs £3.75 up from £3.50 and a breakfast ciabatta's was £4.95 but now costs £5.25. The posh retailer has also shaken up what is served on menus, axing its nutty granola bowl priced at £4.25. This has been replaced with a Berry Bliss granola bowl that costs 70p more. An M&S spokesperson told The Sun: " We're committed to providing trusted value for our customers by mitigating and offsetting as much of the current food inflation as we can. Shoppers race to M&S as one of their best selling items which is a mum-essential viral are scanning for just 63 PENCE "We are working hard to ensure we offer a wide range of price points and options for our customers, never compromising on the M&S quality they expect." It is not uncommon for restaurants, cafés and grocery stores to raise prices due to increased operational costs, including hikes to National Insurance contributions and wages. M&S has previously faced ridicule for hiking the cost of popular items, such as Percy Pigs. Shoppers were outraged after it was discovered a 170g of the iconic sweet treat had been hiked by 10p, now costing £2. The bestselling sweets have undergone a 33% price hike since 2017 when a packet cost just £1.50. MORE PRICE RISES M&S is not the only retailer hiking costs for customers. Earlier this year, Morrisons also increased the cost of a number popular menu items in its cafés. The Full Breakfast was hiked by 25p to £7, while its sweet Stacked Pancakes have risen by £4.25 to £4.50. The price of a Ultimate Fish, Chips & Mushy Peas has increased by £7.75 to £8.50. Meanwhile, battered sausages, chips and mushy peas increased from £6 to £6.50. Greggs increased the price of a sausage roll to £1.30 nationally at the start of the year. The rise means that the Brit favourite jumped by more than a third since it cost £1 in 2022. At some travel locations, such as London Bridge, the price of a sausage roll has increased from £1.50 to £1.55. Elsewhere, Costa Coffee has hiked the price of a brew across its hospital concessions. An audit by our investigators found that a small latte or cappuccino costs £3.90 and a medium £4.10 at Medivest's Royal Victoria Infirmary's Costa Coffee outlet in Newcastle. That's a 10p increase on February 2025 prices and a 20p more compared with high street prices just yards down the road. NEW M&S MENU All Day Breakfast All Day Big Breakfast: £9.95 New Pesto Eggs, Halloumi & Asparagus: £9.95 New Berry Bliss Granola Bowl: £4.95 Pancake Stack with Maple Syrup & Butter: £6.00 Add Bacon: £1.50 Toast with Smashed Avocado: £5.25 Add Egg/Salmon/Bacon: £1.50 Toast with Jam & Butter: £3.75 Toasted Teacake: £2.95 Salmon Royale Brioche: £7.50 Breakfast Ciabattas (Choose one filling): £5.25 Smoked Bacon / Sausage / Mature Cheddar Omelette From Noon Gastropub Fish & Chips: £11.95 New Crispy Chicken Caesar Schnitzel: £9.95 Super Greens Omelette Bowl: £8.95 Hot & Crunchy Sandwiches (With smashed avocado and rocket. Choose one filling) New Pesto Chicken: £7.50 New Spicy Tuna: £7.50 Soups New Thai Green Chicken Curry: £6.50 Loaded Tomato & Basil: £6.25 Tomato & Basil: £5.50 Add Ciabatta or GF Roll: £0.70 Jacket Potatoes (Served with rainbow slaw. Choose one filling) Three Bean Chilli & Avocado: £6.95 New Tuna & Sweetcorn: £6.75 Cornish Cheddar: £6.75 Baked Beans: £6.25 Chips: £2.50 Hot Drinks New Lion's Mane Latte: £4.00 (Regular) Spiced Turmeric Latte: £3.40 (Regular) Latte: £3.60 (Regular), £3.90 (Large) Cappuccino: £3.60 (Regular), £3.90 (Large) Americano: £3.10 (Regular), £3.40 (Large) Flat White: £3.60 (Regular) Magic Coffee®: £3.40 (Regular) Cortado: £3.40 (Regular) Espresso: £2.50 (Regular) Chai Latte: £3.80 (Regular) Mocha: £3.80 (Regular) Hot Chocolate: £3.80 (Regular) Add Marshmallows: £0.50 Add Whipped Cream: £0.50 Single Origin Kenyan Coffee: £0.30 Add Syrup Shot (Pistachio, Hazelnut, Caramel, Vanilla): £0.50 Perfect Ted™ Matcha (Served with oat milk) New Iced Wild Strawberry Matcha: £4.25 Iced Vanilla Matcha: £4.00 Vanilla Matcha Latte: £4.00 Luxury Hot Chocolate (Made with Fairtrade cocoa from the Dominican Republic) 55% Milk Hot Chocolate: £4.00 65% Dark Hot Chocolate: £4.00 Teas Classic Teas (Gold Label, Earl Grey, Decaf): £2.75 Speciality Teas (Green, Triple Mint, Lemon & Ginger, Berry): £2.85 Iced Drinks Iced Latte: £3.60 New Iced Berry Cooler: £3.25 New Outrageously Chocolatey Milkshake: £4.25 New Eton Mess Milkshake: £4.25