Luke Myer, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, has backed proposals to bring British Steel back into public ownership, calling it a vital moment for the UK to reclaim control over its industrial future.
Parliament is being recalled this Saturday to debate the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill, emergency legislation that would give government new powers to intervene directly in the steel sector and take action to secure operations at British Steel’s threatened Scunthorpe site.
The Bill follows growing fears that Jingye, the Chinese owners of British Steel, could shut the plant’s two blast furnaces, risking the livelihoods of 2,700 workers and the loss of the UK’s primary steelmaking capacity.
Luke Myer MP said:
“Steel is the foundation of our economy and our national security, from hospitals to high speed rail, warships to wind turbines. I’ve repeatedly called for Government to step in if British Steel’s Chinese owners would not agree a deal. Now is the time. To secure jobs and industry, British Steel should be in British hands.
“Communities like ours in Teesside know what happens when the Government walks away. The Conservatives have let the industry decline for over a decade, delaying investment, ignoring calls from unions, and putting global markets ahead of British jobs. It is time for a different approach.”
“This is an industry that built modern Britain, and it can help us build a cleaner, greener future too. But only if we have a government that backs it. Labour has a plan to invest in steel, to buy British, and to rebuild the jobs and industries our communities deserve.”
