King Charles today said the UK Government will take “all action necessary to safeguard the domestic production of steel.”
The comments came in the King’s Speech – the official way in which the government re-opens Parliament after a break and sets out its future plans.
On Monday, it was announced British Steel could be back in Government hands for the first time since being sold off in 1988, thanks to powers included in new legislation to be set out in the speech.
The new powers would be subject to public interest tests, and if used to nationalise our business, they would boost national security while giving stability to workers at Scunthorpe, and British Steel’s suppliers and customers.
Today, King Charles told Parliament: “The United Kingdom’s economic security depends upon world class infrastructure. Legislation will be introduced to unlock the benefits of airport expansion, enable roads to be built at pace, including the Lower Thames Crossing, and deliver a fair deal for the North of England through Northern Powerhouse Rail.
“My ministers will continue to take all action necessary to safeguard the domestic production of steel.”
Earlier in the week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Steel is strategically important to our economy and our national resilience. That’s why we acted last year to avoid a sudden halt to production at Scunthorpe, protecting workers and the community that depend on the site, and why we’re now bringing forward legislation to give us options to protect Britain’s steelmaking capability.”
Read more here.