Only Labour can be trusted on steel. Why we are acting now:

On April 12th, Parliament was recalled for only the sixth Saturday sitting since the end of the Second World War to pass Labour’s Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act.

This legislation, while not nationalisation, gives the Government emergency powers to intervene directly in the steel industry, allowing us to take the urgent steps necessary to keep the blast furnaces at British Steel in Scunthorpe running safely. Without this intervention, there was a real risk not only to the safety of the site, but to thousands of jobs and the viability of steelmaking in the region.

Since the announcement, I’ve heard from a number of constituents who are understandably concerned and asking why similar emergency action wasn't taken in Port Talbot. It’s a fair question and one that deserves a clear answer.

After 14 years of neglect under the Conservatives, the UK steel industry has been left weakened, uncertain, and poorly prepared for the future. The sector bounced from one crisis to another, without the long-term planning or strategic investment that such a vital industry needs. Like so many other parts of our national infrastructure, from the prison system to our borders, steel has been badly mismanaged and left in a fragile state.

Before the last election, I raised concerns in Parliament about the Conservative Government’s short-term decision-making on steel, and I urged them to deliver a proper industrial strategy. Unfortunately, by the time Labour came into office, the damage was already done. In January 2024, Tata Steel had announced plans to close the blast furnaces at Port Talbot, and the previous Government had already agreed to support the company’s transition to electric arc furnace steelmaking. By the time we were able to act, that process was well underway.

However, that didn’t stop us from pushing for a better deal. Within our first ten weeks in office, Labour negotiated improved terms with Tata, securing more investment for South Wales, enhanced support for workers, and the most generous voluntary redundancy package the company has ever offered. More than £50 million has since been invested directly into the local community to help people upskill, support supply chains, and improve mental health services.
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Steel is part of our identity in Wales woven into the fabric of communities from Llanelli to Port Talbot. That’s why Labour is acting decisively wherever we can: to protect jobs today and to lay the foundations for a modern, resilient UK steel industry that can thrive in the years ahead.