MPs in Westminster have accused the UK government of double standards, after recalling parliament in an attempt to nationalise Scunthorpe’s steelworks. Port Talbot, which was the UK’s largest steelworking plant lost thousands of jobs last year, when nationalisation was called ‘a pipe dream’ by the First Minister.
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00:00Port Talbot steelworks lost thousands of jobs last year due to ramping down of steel production at
00:08the site. A total of 2,800 staff members were made redundant as part of a restructuring which
00:13includes a greener form of steel production which will start at some point in the future.
00:17Port Talbot was the UK's largest steelworks but suffered a fate that many worried could happen
00:23to more steel making facilities across the UK. A most recent example though has taken a different
00:28storyline to that in Port Talbot with the UK government recalling Parliament in an attempt
00:33to nationalise the site and continue steel production in Scunthorpe. This has led many
00:37politicians in Wales question why it was possible for Scunthorpe but not for Port Talbot.
00:44A number of opposition politicians in Westminster have accused the UK government of double standards.
00:49Liz Saville-Roberts, an often outspoken Plaid Cymru MP, said her party believes that Port Talbot could
00:55and should have received equal treatment alongside Gunthorpe and said that the measures they're
00:59debating in Parliament would have been able to be used to save the blast furnaces at Tata steel in
01:04Wales. The UK government's business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told the Commons the Port Talbot deal
01:11was negotiated by the previous Conservative government so it was out of their hands but argues they did
01:16negotiate a better deal. He said that as a result of that Port Talbot is in a stronger position than
01:21British steel because it has a long-term future in place. There are obvious differences between the
01:27two huge steel working plants with different challenges and deals in place but with so much
01:32emphasis going into saving Scunthorpe and a real lack in Port Talbot people will be questioning the
01:37fairness between the Welsh and English steel industries. Jane Peach Watkins reporting for Local TV.