Parliament will be recalled tomorrow for an emergency debate on British Steel amid fears the company is due to run out of raw materials in a matter of weeks.
MPs will return to the House of Commons from their constituencies at 11am on Saturday after the Speaker granted a request from the government to recall Parliament. The Commons does not usually sit on Saturdays and is currently on a recess break for Easter. The House of Lords has also been recalled.
It is the first time the Commons has been recalled since August 18, 2021 when MPs returned to Parliament to debate the situation in Afghanistan. Parliament has been recalled only 34 times since 1948.
Keir Starmer made a request to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to call MPs back so the House can “take forward legislative proposals to ensure the continued operation of British Steel blast furnaces is safeguarded”. Ministers have so far suggested they prefer a commercial solution regarding the future of the company’s furnaces in Scunthorpe but nationalisation of the firm has not been ruled out. British Steel is currently owned by Chinese firm Jingye.
A No10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has been clear, his government will always act in the national interest. All actions we take are in the name of British industry, British jobs and for British workers.
“Tomorrow Parliament will be recalled to debate the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill. The Bill provides the government with the power to direct steel companies in England, which we will use to protect the Scunthorpe site. It enables the UK government to preserve capability and ensure public safety. It also ensures all options remain viable for the future of the plant and the livelihoods it supports.
“We have been negotiating with British Steel’s owners in good faith ever since coming to office. We have always been clear there is a bright future for steel in the UK. All options remain on the table.”
The Prime Minister has been facing calls to nationalise the industry to stop the furnaces closing, leading to the loss of thousands of jobs and the UK losing its last remaining facility for making non-recycled steel. A union official warned yesterday that the government has just hours left to step in and help under-threat British Steel, or there will be nothing left to save.
Workers say the blast furnaces at its plant in Scunthorpe, north Lincolnshire, will run cold in mid-May if raw materials, including iron-ore pellets, to keep them running are not bought by the end of the working week – today (Friday). It comes as the steel industry battles with Donald Trump slapping 25% tariffs on exports to the US, which came into force last month.
Speaking on Thursday afternoon, works convenor for Unite Martin Foster told the Mirror: “This week is very much sink or swim for us. If we can’t secure the supply of raw materials by tomorrow, we are pretty much sunk. It’s vital that the government act now or there may be nothing left to nationalise.” Martin, a third-generation steelworker, added: “The company are speaking with the government as we speak. We’re sat here waiting for the company to call us in and give us the outcome from those talks”.
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It comes after Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy earlier this week said a “commercial solution” for British Steel is “within reach”, as the government considers nationalising the Chinese-owned business . Ms Nandy told the BBC that British Steel – which employs 2,700 people – will “continue to be an important part of our economy for years to come” and an agreement over its future was “achievable and within sight”.
Rachel Reeves said earlier today that the UK is “resolved” to do everything it can to secure the “best deal possible” with the US, after a senior Trump adviser poured cold water on the idea of tariff concessions. The Chancellor insisted she was also aware of the need for the UK to strike better trade arrangements with other partners across the world, as she travels to Poland to meet European financial ministers.
Roy Rickhuss CBE, General Secretary of steelworkers’ union Community, said: “We welcome this decision to recall parliament – it is in the national interest that a solution is found to secure a future for British Steel as a vital strategic business. We can’t allow Britain to become the only G7 country without primary steelmaking capacity.
“In the absence of a deal with Jingye to continue blast furnace operations at Scunthorpe as part of a transition to greener steelmaking, it is essential that we see urgent action taken to bring British Steel into public ownership.”
UK Steel Director-General, Gareth Stace, said: “Recalling Parliament is the right decision to ensure that British Steel, the wider steel sector and thousands of steel workers and their families are given the certainty they deserve in trying times.
“It is welcome news that Government recognises the seriousness of the UK’s steel industry circumstances and the essential contribution our sector makes to the national economy and security, as well as the communities that rely on it. We look forward to further detail from Government on its commitment towards a secure and stable steel sector.”
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