Dear Resident,
I am sure that many of you have been following the news closely over the past few days, after British Steel announced their plans to transition to electric arc furnaces, and the potential job losses that will come with that.
I want to make it clear that I have deep concerns about these proposals. This will impact the steelworkers employed directly by British Steel, but the worries will be felt across our local community.
As the granddaughter of a steelworker, I know that the steelworks are at the heart of our community and I want to reassure you that I am doing my absolute utmost to ensure that the views of people in Scunthorpe are heard in Westminster and beyond.
Not only will this affect jobs in our area, but it will also have a devastating effect on our steelmaking capabilities here in the UK. With reports that Tata Steel may be decommissioning their blast furnaces in Port Talbot, the UK now stands on the extreme verge of not being able to produce virgin steel for the first time in living memory. Many countries are exploring how to decarbonise their steel sectors without shutting down their blast furnaces, recognising that producing virgin steel is a vital strategic capability. The UK should do the same, and the place for virgin steel production should be here in Scunthorpe.
After the news was announced, I was granted an Urgent Question by the Speaker of the House on the negotiations between British Steel and the Government, and the Government’s position on virgin steelmaking in the UK. The Minister was summoned to the House to answer for it.
I took this time to make it clear that, while British Steel are a private company who can make business decisions as they see fit, if they require hundreds of millions of pounds of public money, the Government should use this as leverage to protect jobs and our sovereign capabilities.
Watch me question the Minister for Business and Trade on the latest British Steel announcement here.
Further to this, I have been spreading the word on radio and TV, making my stance clear. Locally, I went on BBC Radio Humberside on Tuesday to fight our corner, as well as Look North and TalkTV earlier this week.
Listen to me discuss the latest British Steel announcement on BBC Radio Humberside here.
Watch me appear on BBC Look North to discuss the latest British Steel announcement here.
Watch me on TalkTV, discussing the latest announcement by British Steel here.
The message coming from me is crystal clear. The longevity of our steelworks here in Scunthorpe remains as important as ever. I stand with all the steelworkers here in Scunthorpe, and will continue to fight for our community, the steelworkers’ jobs, and our nation’s sovereign capabilities.
Amongst the difficult news we had a really positive announcement with the news that North Lincs Council and British Steel have now agreed to work together on plans for an advanced manufacturing park, set to be built on part of the steelworks site. This is a great opportunity for businesses to take the step into Scunthorpe, creating new, green jobs and utilising on the unique expertise we have here in our area. I look forward working with both NLC and British Steel on seeing these positive plans come forward.
Thank you for taking the time to read this Special Update.
As always, if there is anything myself or my team can help you with, on this matter or any other, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
My very best wishes,
Holly
Copyright © 2023 Holly Mumby-Croft MP, All rights reserved.