Farage to call for Port Talbot blast furnaces to reopen
On a visit to the South Wales town, the party leader is expected to say that the resumption of traditional steelmaking should be a long-term ambition, a spokesman said.
Mr Farage believes his party has a chance of ending Labour's long-standing dominance in Wales during the Senedd elections next year amid opinion poll momentum and gains made at the local polls last month.
The Government has backed plans for a new £1.25 billion electric arc furnace at the Tata steelworks, with the switch-on due in 2027 as part of the push towards greener production.
Tata Steel's Port Talbot steelworks in south Wales (Ben Birchall/PA)
The plant's last blast furnace was shut down in September 2024.
Some MPs have said workers in South Wales have been let down in comparison with those retaining jobs in Scunthorpe, where ministers took control of the steelworks to prevent the closure of its blast furnaces.
The Government has said the two steelworks were in different situations.
Mr Farage's speech comes as Reform seeks to draw a line under internal clashes after chairman Zia Yusuf quit the party on Thursday only to return 48 hours later, saying the resignation had been 'born out of exhaustion'.
It followed a row in which he described a question to the Prime Minister concerning a ban on burkas from his party's newest MP, Sarah Pochin, as 'dumb'.
Mr Yusuf will now have four jobs, including leading the party's plans to cut public spending via the so-called 'UK Doge', based on the US Department of Government Efficiency which was led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Mr Farage's spokesman said: 'He will focus part of the speech on Keir Starmer's year of failure in the UK as a whole but especially Wales. Of course for years Welsh Labour blamed all issues on the Tories in Westminster, now their excuse is gone and the game is up for them.'
Reform had also been hoping to cause an upset last week in Scotland, where it was fighting a Holyrood by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, but Labour secured a shock victory.
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney had claimed the contest would be a 'two-horse race' between the SNP and Reform but Mr Farage's party came third with 7,088 votes to Labour's 8,559 and the SNP's 7,957.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
15 minutes ago
- STV News
SNP calls on Labour to match Scottish Government action on poverty
Almost two million families would be lifted out of poverty if Labour matched Scottish Government action on the issue, the SNP has claimed. Ahead of the UK spending review, the SNP asked the House of Commons Library to produce an independent analysis on the number of British children in poverty and the impact that replicating Scottish Government policies across the UK would have. The research showed 1.83 million families would be lifted out of poverty if policies were matched, including abolishing the two-child benefit cap, scrapping the bedroom tax and raising the child element of Universal Credit to match the Scottish child payment, according to the SNP. Statistics showed a third of British children were anticipated to be living in poverty by 2029-30 unless action was taken. Sir Keir Starmer was urged to act on the figures ahead of the UK spending review on Wednesday amid warnings the number of British children living in poverty is expected to rise to a record 4.6 million by 2029-30. Over the past decade, the number of children living in poverty has risen from 3.7 million (27%) in 2013/14 to 4.5 million (31%) in 2023/24, the SNP said. The SNP said Scotland is the only part of the UK where child poverty is falling, due to 'bold' policies such as the Scottish child payment of £27.15 per child, per week, paid in addition to other benefits. Replicating it UK-wide, by raising the child element of Universal Credit by the same amount, would lift 732,000 families out of poverty, including a further 38,000 families in Scotland, analysis showed. The SNP said it has also mitigated the bedroom tax and is in the process of ending the two-child benefit cap in Scotland. It said replicating the policies would lift a further 609,000 British families out of poverty, with the combined impact of introducing all three policies lifting 1.83 million families out of poverty, including a further 75,000 in Scotland. The UK Government delayed its child poverty taskforce review to the autumn and last year Labour MPs voted against abolishing the two-child benefit cap, in a motion tabled by the SNP. The Chancellor has previously rejected proposals to abolish the bedroom tax. The SNP said the UK Government's own impact analysis showed planned cuts to disability benefits will push 250,000 more people into poverty, including 50,000 children, with families losing out on £4,500 a year on average as a result of the cuts, branding it 'shameful'. SNP work and pensions spokeswoman Kirsty Blackman MP said: 'The evidence shows Keir Starmer's Labour Government is keeping almost two million families in poverty by failing to match SNP action across the UK. 'It's shameful that UK child poverty is rising to record levels under the Labour Government, which has pushed thousands more children into deprivation by imposing punitive welfare cuts. 'It's vital that the Prime Minister finally listens to families struggling with the soaring cost of living – and takes the long-overdue action needed to end child poverty at the UK spending review this week. 'That means abandoning the devastating austerity cuts to disabled families, matching the Scottish child payment UK-wide, abolishing the bedroom tax and scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap. 'With 4.5 million children living in poverty in the UK, only bold and immediate action will do. 'The two-child benefit cap and bedroom tax must be abolished immediately, but that alone isn't enough to end child poverty. It's vital the Labour Government matches the Scottish child payment by raising the child element of Universal Credit across the UK. 'Scotland is the only part of the UK where child poverty is falling – and families receive the best cost-of-living help of anywhere in the UK. 'Westminster must match this action – or it will leave millions more children languishing in poverty.' A UK Government spokesperson said: 'We are determined to bring down child poverty and we have already expanded free breakfast clubs, increased the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes, uprated benefits in April and supported 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a fair repayment rate on universal credit deductions. 'We will also publish an ambitious child poverty strategy later this year to ensure we deliver fully funded measures that tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty across the country.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Western Telegraph
17 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Rutte to meet PM as Nato chief says ‘quantum leap' in defence needed
The secretary general of the military bloc is expected to use a speech at London's Chatham House to say a '400% increase in air and missile' capability is required just to maintain deterrence and defence. He will say 'wishful thinking will not keep us safe' as he warns Nato must become a 'stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance' to protect itself, in the remarks on Monday, when he will also separately meet the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary John Healey. Mr Rutte is expected to say: 'The fact is, we need a quantum leap in our collective defence. The fact is, we must have more forces and capabilities to implement our defence plans in full. 'The fact is, danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends'. He will add: 'We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies. 'Our militaries also need thousands more armoured vehicles and tanks, millions more artillery shells, and we must double our enabling capabilities, such as logistics, supply, transportation and medical support'. On threats against the alliance, Mr Rutte will say: 'Wishful thinking will not keep us safe. We cannot dream away the danger. 'Hope is not a strategy. So Nato has to become a stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance.' The Prime Minister has committed to spend 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence from April 2027, with a goal of increasing that to 3% over the next parliament, a timetable which could stretch to 2034. But Mr Rutte's visit to the UK comes after he proposed members of the bloc spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence as part of a strengthened investment plan for the alliance. The target would require nations to raise core defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, while the remaining 1.5% is to be made up of 'defence-related expenditure'. Nato leaders will meet in The Hague later this month, when the total 5% spending target by 2035 will be discussed. The UK's Strategic Defence Review, which was published on Monday, recommended sweeping changes, including a greater focus on new technology, including drones and artificial intelligence based on rising budgets. The boost to the defence budget will be confirmed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her spending review on Wednesday, when she will set out the Government's priorities for the next three years.
Daily Record
34 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse by-election: full results
Labour gained the seat with a majority of 602, with the SNP and Reform coming second and third. Labour won the Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse by-election with a majority of 602 and claimed 31.5 per cent of the vote to send Davy Russell to Holyrood as the constituency's new MSP. SNP candidate Katy Loudon was second with 7957 votes. The party had been aiming to retain the seat held for the past 14 years by respected local politician and Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie, who died in March aged just 57. Reform – contesting only their second election in South Lanarkshire following last year's Westminster poll in which they were a distant fourth – were third with candidate Ross Lambie gaining 7088 votes, 26.88 per cent of the ballots cast and just 1471 adrift of the winner. Both of the runners-up are serving South Lanarkshire councillors; as is fourth-placed candidate Richard Nelson of the Conservatives, who picked up 1621 votes. The full results, declared at the council's headquarters in Hamilton at 1.30am on Friday by returning officer Paul Manning, were – Davy Russell, Labour: 8559 Katy Loudon, SNP: 7957 Ross Lambie, Reform: 7088 Richard Nelson, Conservative: 1621 Ann McGuinness, Green: 695 Aisha Mir, Liberal Democrat: 533 Collette Bradley, Scottish Socialist Party: 278 Andy Brady, Scottish Family Party: 219 Marc Wilkinson, independent: 109 Janice MacKay, UKIP: 50 Turnout: 44.2 per cent Rejected papers: 46 Total votes: 27,155 Electorate: 61,485
