Nigel Farage's Ultimatum
Nigel Farage has issued a stark warning to Sir Keir Starmer, giving him a deadline of three days to save Britain's last blast furnaces from collapsing. The Reform boss is calling for the immediate nationalisation of the British Steel's Scunthorpe plant.
Threat to UK Steelmaking
If there isn't a firm commitment to buy raw materials by Friday, up to 2,700 jobs are at risk as the furnaces will go cold and potentially cannot be restarted. Chinese owners Jingye have canceled crucial orders for iron ore and coal, signaling a potential shutdown.
Government Response and Proposed Solutions
While the Prime Minister has stated that all options are on the table, Farage insists that action must be taken before the end of the week to secure the future of steelmaking in the UK. Reform UK has proposed a plan to merge Scunthorpe and Liberty Steel's idle electric arc furnaces into a single state-backed operation.
Industry Discussions and Financial Support
An emergency meeting of the Steel Council, led by industry minister Sarah Jones, has been held to address the crisis. Discussions included reassurances about financial support, with the Network Charging Compensation scheme set to provide significant funding to the sector.
Debate Over Nationalisation
While nationalising British Steel is seen as a potential solution, Tory chief Kemi Badenoch views it as a last resort. Jingye's request for a bailout to transition to green practices was met with hesitation from the government, leading to threats of closure.
Farage has expressed skepticism about increasing financial support to Jingye, as it seems they may be willing to close the plant regardless.
