The UK steel industry is in turmoil with the potential closure of Tata Steel's Port Talbot plant, threatening to make the UK the only G20 country unable to produce raw steel. The Conservative government has pledged £500 million to save 5,000 jobs and an additional £100 million for those whose jobs cannot be saved, amidst the announcement of 2,500 direct job losses. Critics, including Labour, blame the government's net zero policies and Brexit for the job losses and the risk to national steel production. There are calls for the nationalization of the steelworks and the implementation of a carbon border tax to counteract high carbon imports from countries like China. The crisis has intensified the debate over the UK's industrial future and the balance between environmental policies and industrial jobs, especially as Labour plans to drop a key manifesto promise to spend £28 billion a year on eco projects, while Tata announces 2800 job cuts.
Tata’s pleas of poverty have been exposed as a sham. They are making money hand over fist and will only profit from bringing in more Indian and Dutch #steel to the UK if we cut capacity. It's unbelievable the @GOVUK is going along with this. @UniteEconomy https://t.co/HhTh6qlzqK
🚨Net Zero = Net Stupid. 🚫Only Reform UK will scrap ALL of Net Zero. https://t.co/UBnxnH7Qu4
🗣️ Telegraph View: Port Talbot is a victim of net zero madness https://t.co/hX2quxLSKx
A decent statement from @SDPhq: 'Nationalise Port Talbot steelworks.' Exactly the demand that the Labour party should be making. https://t.co/FcuLkuHq41
"It’s disastrous because it will destroy a community. It’s unpatriotic because it weakens UK industrial capacity. It’s dishonest because it simply shifts steel production overseas." - @WilliamClouston Steel production at Port Talbot must be nationalised. https://t.co/AmcgGxHiBm
On Mark Dolan Tonight: Is Net Zero to blame for the Port Talbot steelworks closures?
We have detailed research demonstrating how and why Tata should be expanding #UKSteel production in line with growing demand, not slashing its workforce. @TataSteelUK's plan to close the blast furnaces is simply industrial vandalism on a grand scale. https://t.co/wEEQzxH2ud
The idea that we, an advanced industrial estate, cannot make our own steel, that is ludicrous.' Former Labour MP, Stephen Pound, on the Tata steel job losses and the government's net zero goals. https://t.co/OXHxto3w5P
“They’ve done a very bad deal with the British government.” The deal between Tata Steel and the British government ignores the impact on jobs, the broader economy and national security, Stephen Kinnock tells #TimesRadio. @adamboultonTABB | @SKinnock https://t.co/pLKKbsXxSx
“They’ve done a very bad deal with the British government.” The deal between Tata Steel and the British government ignores the impact on jobs, the broader economy and national security, Simon Kinnock tells #TimesRadio. @adamboultonTABB | @SKinnock https://t.co/7VczAa8q4x
Here's what you missed on this week's #PoliticsWales: We discussed #Tata Steel's 2800 job cuts and plans for decarbonisation with: 🇬🇧 @DavidTCDavies 🏴 @vaughangething 🌹 @JoStevensLabour 💚 @JoeKRossiter @IWA_Wales Promises from both governments to the workforce today: https://t.co/c512HxUx84
The Tories are paying Tata Steel half a billion pounds to slash jobs and destroy our sovereign steelmaking capacity. Labour would invest in British current and future green steelmaking capacity and jobs. This is not about climate change, but Tory weakness & incompetence. https://t.co/Cmg4BGfjwM
Neil Kinnock on Brexit: “It’s going to be bloody difficult to get a sustainable, respectable economic growth rate year-on-year without barrier-free access to our main market.” https://t.co/5SYJXDYgc1
In September Rishi Sunak said he’d saved thousands of steelworkers’ jobs. This week we had confirmation it wasn’t true. A reminder he has no interest in standing up for jobs or for crucial national industries. https://t.co/LoYgVSUlbe
"Labour are clearly struggling with the whole £28 Billion." Labour are wrong to block more North Sea oil and gas development @GMBGarySmith tells @AdamBoultonTABB on #TimesRadio. https://t.co/femj7ah0US
KEEP THE FLAME OF HOPE ALIVE for thousands of steel jobs. Let’s avoid high carbon China steel with a carbon border tax (like EU) & get a Tata profit share from Govt £0.5billion investment to pay to keep jobs in the green transition @unitetheunion @CommunityUnion @GMBWSW https://t.co/2mckWOJhHY
Tata jobs are at risk because the Tories don't have a plan for our economy and communities. With @UKLabour, the transition to green steel would come with jobs in Wales. https://t.co/x7SZ8ghdwD
UK needs a profit share of green steel sales from Govt £0.5billion invested in Tata & a carbon border tax (like EU) replacing high-carbon China steel to pay to save thousands of jobs in green transition @unitetheunion @CommunityUnion @GMBWSW https://t.co/2mckWOJhHY
Neil Kinnock speaks to @georgeeaton on why the election won’t be a repeat of 1992, life after Glenys and why Joe Biden called him his “greatest ever speechwriter”. https://t.co/XeaHKzMjsn
Coming up on #PoliticsWales at 10am: We’ll assess the impact of this week’s devastating news about jobs at Tata Steel. 🇬🇧 @DavidTCDavies 🏴 @vaughangething 💚 @JoeKRossiter 🌹@JoStevensLabour ➕@rhodrilewis5 looks at the constitutional future of Wales with @RobertBuckland https://t.co/lfefPqDXiy
🚨 ICYMI ‘The Labour Party, who should be fighting for the grafters, are instead chocking industry with their green noose.’ @darrengrimes_ discusses the closure of Tata Steel in Port Talbot and net zero goals damaging British industry. https://t.co/cOSnhMFo08
What will be in tomorrow's newspapers? 📰 Sky's @skygillian is joined on tonight's Press Preview by broadcaster @joannajarjue and political commentator @BenedictSpence. ⏰From 10:30pm 📱#SkyPapers 👉https://t.co/5xGmiZZPBm 📺Sky 501 / YouTube https://t.co/8L9oTBb1W9
Net Zero has made energy intensive industries completely unviable. We’ve sent our steel abroad, only to import it back from dirty economies like China. Tories and Labour are betraying the working class and seeking to deceive them with talk of ‘green jobs’! https://t.co/qVs4L8DqdU
‘The Labour Party, who should be fighting for the grafters, are instead chocking industry with their green noose.’ @darrengrimes_ discusses the closure of Tata Steel in Port Talbot and net zero goals damaging British industry. https://t.co/eKon0mMfI4
"The way @TataSteelUK have handled this situation has been shambolic. The @GOVUK have given £500 million of tax payers money to Tata, there should be a jobs guarantee with that investment not cutting 2,500 jobs." @PeteHughesUnite, Wales Regional Secretary. #UKSteel @UniteEconomy https://t.co/QUlQJItkWi
UK to Become Only G20 Country Incapable of Raw Steel Production as Top Plant Goes ‘Green’, Thousands of Jobs to Be Cut https://t.co/HbfDcBcB2j
⬇️ 2,500 Job losses as a direct consequence of government net zero policy. The folly of our age. https://t.co/be9L7AeIkV
Neil Kinnock on Rishi Sunak: “He exudes distance, not only because he is monumentally wealthy but because when he tries to do something normal he gets it wrong.” https://t.co/X8tfRBKJiD
BREAKING: Lay-offs in Port Talbot are due to Brexit and not Net Zero says Ex First Minister, Carwyn Jones. “The Net Zero argument is utter nonsense” https://t.co/x2HZcEtKIq
Labour is insisting it will press ahead with the transition to green energy if it takes power, despite plans to drop a key manifesto promise to spend £28 billion a year on eco project ⬇️ https://t.co/ZPv9cD8AMp
Good piece on the Multi-Union alternative to Tata’s devastating proposals and addressing the question: “Where is the analysis that a country of Britain’s size, with an ambition to reboot its energy sector, can do it without virgin steel?” #WeNeedOurSteel https://t.co/Mzv5kNuVrx
Lots of noise from Labour on TATA Steel. So let’s look at the facts. The UK Conservative Government has pledged half a billion pounds to save 5,000 jobs. And £100m to help those whose jobs can’t be saved. Labour ministers in the Senedd haven’t offered a penny. On BBC… https://t.co/8CfeN7lNsh
This is a great piece from @georgeeaton. Insightful, moving, and beautifully written. Neil Kinnock: “It’s not 1992. Rishi Sunak is no John Major” https://t.co/52yca3stVo
Making the case for the steel sector again this morning. Investing in a just transition is the right thing to do for steel communities in Wales and for wider UK interests. We should not be the only G20 country that sacrifices primary steel making. https://t.co/qGIr9fkCt2
“If he lives for a million years, Rishi Sunak is never going to be John Major.” Neil Kinnock on why the election won’t be a repeat of 1992, life after Glenys and why Joe Biden called him his “greatest ever speechwriter”. https://t.co/yo6HtoBjLR