Labour will pressure Commons vote over metal disaster as Tata Steel cuts 2,800 jobs

Tory MPs will probably be placed on the spot at present over calls to maintain steelmaking in Britain.

Labour plans to pressure a vote on the way forward for the metal business to strong-arm the Government into delivering a plan to make sure Britain retains its capability to make metal moderately than counting on overseas imports. It comes after Tata Steel UK confirmed plans to axe as much as 2,800 British jobs final week in a devastating blow to the business.

Most of the roles will probably be on the Indian-owned companies’s Port Talbot plant in South Wales, the place two blast furnaces will probably be closed this yr. Unions have warned the choice dangers turning the realm right into a ghost city and accused the Government and Tata of throwing “workers on the scrapheap”.

Tata is spending £1.25billion – together with a £500million of taxpayers’ money – to interchange the blast furnaces with greener electrical arc furnaces, which want fewer staff to function. Labour accused the Government of pushing via the deal that can lead to 1000’s of steelworkers shedding their jobs and danger leaving the UK’s capability to supply major metal

Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds mentioned: “This is a bad deal, leaving thousands of workers out of a job, handing over millions of taxpayer’s money and risking the UK’s national security. While the Conservatives want to offshore emissions, jobs and opportunities and call that progress, Labour will stand with our steelworkers.

“Labour has a plan to bolster our national security and deliver good jobs for decades to come. The steel sector can have a bright future under a Labour Government.” Labour will use an opposition day debate to force a vote on the issue, meaning Tory MPs will have to nail their colours to the mast.

Announcing the move last week, Tata said in a statement: “Tata Steel at present introduced it is going to begin statutory session as a part of its plan to remodel and restructure its UK enterprise. This plan is meant to reverse greater than a decade of losses and transition from the legacy blast furnaces to a extra sustainable, inexperienced metal enterprise.”