British Steel latest: Parliament approves bill to save plant after workers block Chinese executives from site
Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Parliament approves British Steel bill to save Scunthorpe plant
- Parliament approved emergency legislation allowing the government to take control of British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, preventing its closure by Chinese owners, Jingye.
- Jingye was reportedly seeking hundreds of millions in government funding and planned to halt raw material supply to the blast furnaces, a move that would be costly to reverse.
- While Parliament debated the bill, British Steel workers blocked Chinese executives from accessing key areas of the Scunthorpe plant.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Scunthorpe to assure workers of the government's commitment to protecting their jobs and the UK steel industry.
- The government's intervention aims to secure the future of British Steel and maintain the UK's capacity to produce virgin steel, crucial for economic and national security.