6 h. ago 'I missed my son's 12th birthday to save Britain's steel industry'

The Manchester Evening News speaks to the man at the centre of the race to save British Steel and deal with Trump's tariffs and a global trade war

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7 d. ago ‘Sigh of relief’ as British Steel shipments bring lifeline to industry on the brink

It comes after ministers used emergency powers to take control of British Steel after what was thought to be a Chinese plot to sabotage the plant

Politics

2 w. ago The May elections are a perfect opportunity for Nigel Farage to peddle his politics of grievance | Andrew Rawnlsey

An unpopular government and floundering official opposition creates fertile territory for ReformFor his next trick, perhaps Comrade Farage will belt out all the verses of The Red Flag and tell us that his favourite book is The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists. Brother Nigel has popped up on the government’s left flank by demanding the immediate nationalisation of the steel industry. He’s also expressed a solidarity with trades unionists hitherto undetected in this longtime admirer of Margaret Thatcher.At an event at a working men’s club in one of the more deprived wards of County Durham, the old fraud even claimed to have a personal affinity with steelworkers because he used to be in the “metals business” himself. This was a disingenuous reference to his time as a trader at the London Metal Exchange, which involved long lunches in the City fuelled with copious quantities of port. Or maybe he was thinking of his gig as a paid “brand ambassador” for a firm that deals in gold bullion. ...

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2 w. ago Miliband in blistering attack on Farage’s UK net zero ‘nonsense and lies’

The energy secretary has accused Reform UK’s leader of peddling dangerous falsehoods about renewable power• Tories and Reform use the steel crisis to knock clean energy. They’re wrong: it will secure all our futuresEd Miliband has torn into Nigel Farage and the Tories for peddling dangerous “nonsense and lies” by suggesting the UK’s net zero target is responsible for destroying Britain’s businesses, including its steel industry.Cabinet ministers are determined to fight back against the way Reform UK and the Conservatives have unceremoniously lambasted the climate crisis agenda for what they believe are nakedly political reasons before important local elections next month. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Scottish steel workers 'deserve answers' amid uncertainty over future of Lanarkshire mills

EXCLUSIVE: Labour said the SNP Government had taken a "vow of silence" over the future of Scotland's remaining steel industry.

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3 w. ago Business secretary would not bring Chinese companies into UK steel sector

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has said he would not feel comfortable allowing a Chinese business into the British steel industry.

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3 w. ago Emergency bill to 'save' British Steel that could nationalise Scunthorpe furnace clears Parliament

The Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill has cleared the House of Lords and will become law once it receives royal assent.

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3 w. ago Parliament approves British Steel bill as sources say owners blocked from entering Scunthorpe plant – live

The Steel Industry (Special Measures) has now passed through the House of Lords and is awaiting royal assentIt’s been a busy morning for Sarah Jones, who is now on BBC Breakfast.Asked whether the government had received any private offers for the company’s Scunthorpe plant, Sarah Jones said:There is not at the moment, to answer your question, a private company that is there willing to invest at this point.When we came into government, there was a deal on the table with Tata Steel in Port Talbot.We negotiated in 10 weeks a much better deal, but there was a private company willing to invest, who are now investing.We are hoping that the company will co-operate with what we are asking them to do, we hope that we will give them a notice and they will continue.If they do not, we will step in. Now the company will be liable for any costs that we incur, and we will seek to get that money back.We have the £2.5 billion fund for steel which we had in our manifesto, that we will use if necessar...

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3 w. ago MPs approve emergency law to 'save' the UK's steel industry as MPs accuse China of trying to shut it down by closing British Steel blast furnaces

Both the Commons and the Lords have reconvened during Easter recess for a highly unusual Saturday sitting to debate a Bill aimed at blocking Jingye from closing the Scunthorpe site.

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3 w. ago Minister Jonathan Reynolds makes major announcement after emergency recall of Parliament

MPs were dragged back to the Commons to vote on an emergency law - as Jonathan Reynolds outlined plans to rescue Britain's steel industry

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3 w. ago MPs and Lords head to parliament as PM aims to pass emergency law today to save British Steel – live

MPs to debate emergency law that will give the business secretary the power to direct the companyBlast furnaces have been making steel in Britain for 300 years, ever since they helped start the Industrial Revolution. This weekend, parliament will sit for the first Saturday in decades as it tries to keep the last two furnaces running for a bit longer.Keir Starmer has recalled MPs to discuss emergency powers to direct steel companies, including British Steel’s Scunthorpe steelworks, to “preserve capability and ensure public safety”. The move would be short of nationalisation, but it would give the government more influence on the steel industry than at any point since Margaret Thatcher. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Senior military and industry figures demand that ministers take back British Steel from its Chinese owners

Critics spoke out as the fate of British Steel's blast furnace in Scunthorpe, owned by Jingye of China , hangs in the balance.

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3 w. ago Nationalisation is no spectre haunting British manufacturing

Public ownership could be the saviour of the UK’s remaining steel industry

Politics

3 w. ago Parliament will be recalled TOMORROW amid signs British Steel could be nationalised to avoid industry's collapse after Trump tariffs

MPs are being brought back to Westminster from the Easter recess amid intense manoeuvring in the wake of Donald Trump's tariffs.

Politics

3 w. ago Commons will be recalled TOMORROW amid signs British Steel could be nationalised to avoid industry's collapse after Trump tariffs

MPs are being brought back to Westminster from the Easter recess amid intense manoeuvring in the wake of Donald Trump's tariffs.

Politics

3 w. ago UK government refuses to rule out nationalizing last plant in UK that makes steel from raw material

The British government is refusing to rule out nationalizing the last plant in the U.K. that makes steel from raw materials as the global trade war increases pressure to preserve the nation’s ability to supply domestic industry with the steel it needs

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3 w. ago Nationalising British Steel must be ‘last resort’ – Badenoch

Industry minister Sarah Jones hosted a meeting of the Steel Council attended by the bosses of Tata, Liberty and British Steel and trade union leaders.

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4 w. ago It could set the industry back 50 years: fashion braces for impact of Trump tariffs

From farmers to designers, the entire supply chain will be hit – but it is unclear what duties apply to a finished productFirst it was steel producers. Then automobiles. Now the fashion industry has been left reeling from Donald Trump’s announcement on Wednesday that he was imposing tariffs on more than 180 countries including severe levies aimed at some of fashion’s biggest manufacturing regions.Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs included a 10% duty on all imports to the US but “worst offender” countries – those with whom America has bigger trade deficits – face a higher rate. Several of these are key to fashion’s supply chains. China, where everyone from Prada to Zara outsource production, faces a 54% duty. Vietnam, where more than half of Nike’s footwear was produced last year, will be subject to a 46% tariff. Pakistan, a key manufacturer of denim items, will be hit with a 29% duty. Bangladesh, where garment manufacturing makes up to 80% of its total exports, will be subjected to 3...

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