Ed Miliband says the Government ‘cannot afford’ to let Liberty Steel jobs go
The government should consider nationalising Liberty Steel if necessary to save thousands of “crucial jobs”, Ed Miliband has said.
Nationalisation
Liberty Steel’s future is the subject of speculation after specialist bank Greensill Capital went into administration. Greensill Capital was the main lender to Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance which includes Liberty Steel – the owner of steel plants across the UK.
Gupta’s business empire employs around 5,000 people in the UK, a majority of whom work for Liberty Steel across its 11 sites throughout England, Scotland, and Wales, including Scunthorpe, Newport, and Rotherham.
Speaking to the BBC, the shadow business secretary said the government needed to explore every option to keep the company afloat, including nationalisation. He told the broadcaster:
These are crucial jobs for communities up and down this country. Let’s hope that Liberty Steel can find the refinancing that it’s looking for but the Government needs a Plan B to make sure whatever happens, these jobs are saved.
Read on...
If there’s one lesson we learned from this pandemic it’s that our strategic infrastructure, our resilience really matters. And steel is a key part of our strategic infrastructure and resilience.
We cannot afford to let these jobs go. Government has got to make sure it doesn’t happen.
Miliband’s comments come days after business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said he held “constructive” talks with union leaders to discuss Liberty Steel’s future. He tweeted on 12 March:
I continue to monitor developments very closely and work to build a strong, sustainable steel sector in the UK.
We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support
The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.
The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.
So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.
-
Show Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to leave a comment.Join the conversationPlease read our comment moderation policy here.
