UK Government accused of double standards over British Steel plans
Plaid Cymru Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts MP has criticised the UK Government for double standards in the treatment of steelworkers in Port Talbot, during Saturday’s House of Commons debate on the future of the Scunthorpe steelworks.
In September 2024, TATA Steel closed the blast furnaces at Port Talbot, cutting 2,800 jobs in the process.
Ms Saville Roberts highlighted “Labour’s inaction” in contrast with the urgency to intervene to protect jobs in the case of Scunthorpe, which she described as a “bitter, bitter disappointment for Port Talbot”, where steelmaking has been in place for over a century.
Amendment
Plaid Cymru has tabled an amendment to include Wales under the terms of this Bill, in order to highlight that the measures debated today would have been able to be used to save the blast furnaces at Tata Steel.
Plaid Cymru consistently called for nationalisation to be on the table to save jobs in Port Talbot – raising it 21 times since 2023 in Parliament and the Senedd.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Liz Saville Roberts MP said: “Today’s legislation to safeguard the UK’s last bastion of primary steelmaking capacity is of course to be supported. But what my party cannot support is this government’s approach to steel in the UK which deems steel in Scunthorpe is worth saving, but not steel in Wales.
“Today is a bitter day for the people of Port Talbot, where the blast furnaces have been extinguished, because Labour let that happen. These job losses will take an estimated £200 million from the local economy in lost wages. People in south Wales have been loyally voting for Labour for decades. Does this Labour government therefore feel proud that those votes have been paid back by Tory-style deindustrialisation in Port Talbot?
“Plaid Cymru has consistently called for nationalisation, but the Labour First Minister of Wales rejected our calls. She described nationalisation as “pipe dreams”.
“Labour in Wales were quick to mock our proposal – which we made 21 times on record in Cardiff and here. Now, it’s UK Labour policy for Scunthorpe.
“This government must therefore set out how much of the £2.5 billion steel fund will be allocated towards securing Scunthorpe, and how does this compare to amount given to support laid off workers in Wales?
“Under this Government Scunthorpe gets security, whilst Port Talbot gets a pittance.”
Ms Saville Roberts added: “Plaid Cymru believes that Port Talbot should, and could have received equal treatment alongside Scunthorpe. That is why we have tabled an amendment to include Wales under the terms of this Bill.
That highlights that the measures we are debating today would have been able to be used to save the blast furnaces at Tata Steel in Wales.
“We will not let Labour hide from the fact that they own the decision not to intervene to save Welsh steel when they had the opportunity to do so.
“Workers and communities must be at the centre of any long-term solution for the steel industry. So far, Labour both in Westminster and in Cardiff have worked in partnership to dispatch thousands of Welsh workers to uncertainty and hopelessness.
“People in Wales will not forget today. Today is a day of bitter, bitter disappointment for Port Talbot.”
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Thank you Liz. A superb repost Labour should be thoroughly ashamed if itself both in Westminster and in the Senedd for ditching Port Talbot
It’s time for South Wales voters to realise that a UK Labour Government does not have their backs – one policy for voters across the border, another for the colonies!
Another nail in the coffin for Wales. Time for Welsh Labour to separate from England and form coalition with Plaid and go for independence. The mood is right for it. 🏴
They had their chance to do that and they showed that their mantra is party before country. If the polls are accurate, “Welsh” Labour will pay for it at the election.
Labour has betrayed the people of Wales. Labour are damaged goods. The people of Wales must now realise that a vote for Labour in the next Senedd elections will only add to indecision at the Senedd and will let in harder betrayers of reform UK. It is in the interests of everyone that wishes to see a better Wales to vote for the Party of Wales, Plaid Cymru; This includes those of us that have voted Labour out of loyalty to campaigns by the trade union movement. Ask yourself: The end of the standard Pensioner tax free Christmas bonus: Is… Read more »
Vote Plaid the only party with the interests of Cymru at its heart.
Based on the polls, I don’t believe a combination of Welsh Labour and Plaid could reach the necessary figure of 49 in the new Senedd next year. I fear there will be a number of Neo-Fascists in Y Siambr and no Coalition to oppose them.
Hear, hear.
Labour will feel this at the ballot box but this goes well beyond politics to the shadowy corridors of Whitehall where decisions are repeatedly made that are demonstrably not in the UK’s best interests. Does SW1 have a competence problem or is there something more nefarious happening to allow the two largest global steel producing countries to take control of UK steel production only to both almost simultaneously run then into the ground knowing we’d be forced to buy steel from the very same two countries.
So what was there a reply to her speech/questions?
Stand up for your rights…
Not that shower in the Senedd, the Baroness was a curse, the place is now a waiting room for retirement, watch them feather their nests ready for the big sleep in opposition…
In opposition ? Most of the current lot are planning on bailing out in any case. Those hoping to be their successors as sitting members better get cracking and present articulate alternative ways forward to lift the country out of the swamp created by 25+ years of imbecilic Labour rule. I suspect they haven’t got a clue or are unwilling to step away from the centralised Labour party tramlines. If they get shafted by anyone be it Plaid, LibDems, or even Reform they only have themselves to blame.
Being generous, could have mentioned Huw’s Day Out or
Allotments with Mark D in the House of Lords kitchen garden.
Active Travel for the Quadraplegic without PIPs, narrated by Lee Waters…
Julie’s pet farm and last but not least…
The Baroness brings a taste of India with her Lama Gymkhana Show
The Welsh Tories all have their own churches and the riches that flow through them to keep them in clover…
We need our Senedd.
We need a Plaid Cymru majority government.
The Senedd will be part of a new constitution for a new independent and democratic Wales.
Dream on. Plaid (or anyone) would need about 45% of the vote under the anti democratic closed list system. They are currently on about 25%. Paralysis awaits.
I used to fear the prospect of Reform winning the UK parliamentary election but no more. Labour’s actions have proved once and for all that it really doesn’t matter to Wales who is in charge in Westminster: Labour, Tory, Reform – it really makes no difference to the people of Wales.
Reform are definitely not the answer. Not for Cymru or the UK.
They a grifters and charlatans.
Totally agree, Reform have no interest in Wales and no policies for Wales. Wake up before it’s too late!!!
Reform are out and out Fascists. They would end Devolution in all it’s forms and effectively impose martial law on anyone who doesn’t agree with them. I hate Labour, but there are worse things than them!
What did Welsh Labour MPs have to say?
I see that two Welsh members of the House of Lords were pushing it through the House of Lords. They had little to say on Port Talbot other than championing Labour’s performance on it! Would be interesting to see if Welsh MPs turned up to the Commons debate. Can’t find attendance record.
Stephen Kinnock should have been challenging his party’s late awakening on steel. Port Talbot has been well and truly abandoned as it will be very difficult to source sufficient clean scrap at competitive prices to feed those electric furnaces. So much for even handed treatment.
Well Said Liz!!!