LABOUR AND TORY TO BLAME

Port Talbot closure: Tories and Labour share blame for lack of industrial strategy – Plaid Cymru

‘We must plan for the revival of our steel industry’, says Luke Fletcher MS ahead of second blast furnace shutdown

 Ahead of the shutdown of the second blast furnace at Port Talbot steelworks today (Monday 30 September), Plaid Cymru economy spokesperson, Luke Fletcher MS, has blamed successive governments in Westminster and Cardiff Bay for “failing to develop an industrial strategy”.

2,500 jobs will go at the steelworks despite a £500m taxpayer-backed deal at the Port Talbot plant. Many more jobs in the supply chain will be lost. 

During the General Election, Labour said it was “working on a better deal” for the plant, but approved the Conservative-negotiated plan for an electric arc furnace after coming into office in Westminster.  

Mr Fletcher said that steelmaking was crucial for a Welsh industrial strategy, and warned that the “tragedy” of the closure of the blast furnaces must not “define the future of our economy”. He stressed that following the closure, "we must now plan for the revival of our steel industry”. 

Plaid Cymru Economy spokesperson and South Wales West Member of the Senedd, Luke Fletcher said:

"During the General Election, Labour promised a better deal for the Port Talbot steelworks. Today, the second of its two blast furnaces shuts down. This is more than just a factory closing – it’s the end of Welsh steelmaking and the livelihoods of countless workers and families.

"The decline of our steel industry is a direct consequence of successive governments failing to develop an industrial strategy. They neglected to acknowledge that without a strong steel sector, the car industry, shipbuilding, and heavy manufacturing are all doomed to fail. While other nations recognised the vital importance of domestic steel production and actively subsidised it, the UK chose to privatise and sell our steel assets to foreign entities, making us reliant on imports.

“Plaid Cymru has long argued for the strategic importance of steelmaking to Wales’ economic interests, national security, and the pathway to net zero. It is deeply disappointing that both Westminster parties allowed this to happen. We cannot let this tragedy define the future of our economy; we must now plan for the revival of our steel industry and high skilled jobs it provides.”

- ENDS -

 

EDITOR’S NOTES:

Labour working on better Tata steel deal, says MP - BBC (6 July) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7257g40ze0o

 

Ministers set to agree £500m Tata Steel subsidy – BBC (9 September) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0jp0v77231o

 

It’s clear now that Labour has no plan for Welsh Steel - Plaid Cymru (10 July) https://www.partyof.wales/labour_has_no_plan_for_welsh_steel

LABOUR HAS NO PLAN FOR WELSH STEEL

Plaid Cymru: It’s clear now that Labour has no plan for Welsh Steel

 

Plaid Cymru has responded to comments made by the new business secretary Jonathan Reynolds MP regarding talks with TATA Steel in order to save jobs and steel making capabilities in Port Talbot.

 

The new Labour secretary told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that TATA had been ‘unmovable’ on the decision to delay the closure of a second blast furnace at Port Talbot, due to close in September.

 

Plaid Cymru responded saying that it was clear that Labour’s pre-election promises of a plan to save jobs and to keep the steelworks going in Port Talbot were false. An emergency question was tabled by the party in the Senedd, seeking clarification from the Labour Welsh Government.

 

Plaid’s Economy and Energy spokesperson, Luke Fletcher MS, said:

 

“Before the election, Labour were telling TATA to wait until a new Labour government was elected in Westminster. Now this has happened, there seems little change except the colour of the ties. We’re still none the wiser about what the plan is.

 

“The new Business secretary says that TATA are being ‘unmovable’ on holding back the closure of another blast furnace to ensure a just transition. We need to know what Labour are offering that the Tories couldn’t. We know that they have said that there is more money on the table, but we know that this is not enough.

 

“TATA have been signalling for months that they were unwilling to renegotiate – we seen that in their interviews, we seen that in their evidence to the Economy committee here so what have Labour been doing to prepare this situation?

 

“Now if both Labour Governments are committed to keeping the blast furnace open and if TATA is unmovable on this there is only one option. They must consider nationalisation of the steel works.”

 

- ENDS -

 

 

EDITOR’S NOTES / NODIADAU I’R GOLYGYDD

Find a link to Luke Fletcher’s emergency question to the Senedd here: https://record.assembly.wales/TopicalQuestion/1142, it will be answered by the Welsh Government on 10/07/2024.

A WELSH GREEN NEW DEAL

TATA STEEL: Plaid Cymru pledges ‘a Welsh Green new deal’ to safeguard communities from job losses

 

Plaid Cymru has pledged a ‘Welsh Green New Deal’ as part of their general election campaign.

 

Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Economy and Energy, Luke Fletcher MS said that Plaid Cymru’s Welsh Green New Deal would “safeguard communities in south Wales from thousands of job losses in the steel industry” and would create “rewarding, meaningful and fair work emerging in the green and net-zero sector to build a thriving economy” across Wales.

 

Tata Steel plans to close both blast furnaces in Port Talbot by the end of September. A new £1.25bn electric arc furnace, which melts scrap steel, will begin construction in Port Talbot in summer 2025.

 

Almost 2,800 jobs are expected to be lost if the plans go ahead – half of the workforce at the plant.

 

Luke Fletcher will join Rhun ap Iorwerth today on the campaign trail in Aberafan Maesteg, the constituency where the Tata Steel plant is located.

 

Plaid Cymru is also demanding that more powers over Wales’ economy and resources – including the devolution of the £835m worth Crown Estate to Wales, as part of its election campaign.

 

Plaid Cymru have advocated to retain the ability to produce primary steel in Wales and have fiercely opposed Tata’s current plans to close its blast furnaces in Port Talbot.

 

Mr Fletcher has long campaigned for the Westminster government to nationalise the Port Talbot steelworks. Failing this, the party believes that the Welsh Government should explore options for the compulsory purchase of the plant while future options for greening steel production – including through replacing coal with green hydrogen – are developed.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Economy and Energy, Luke Fletcher MS said:

“Wales’ economy is being held back by Westminster parties. Yet after 14 years of Tory austerity and 25 years of a Labour Welsh Government, Starmer is not offering the hopeful vision that Wales desperately needs.

“From thousands of good paying and highly skilled jobs at risk in south Wales, to Westminster’s failure to give Wales the powers we need to be in charge of our own economic destiny – we know this isn’t as good as it gets.

“Plaid Cymru has a clear vision when it comes to safeguarding these jobs through a just transition, and seeking powers over our natural resources to help Wales unlock its green potential.”

“Communities in and around Port Talbot know all too well that neither Labour nor the Tories have a plan to invigorate our economy. Neither party and their respective governments have shown any real direction when it comes to saving the thousands of jobs at risk from Tata’s decisions, nor any wider policies to support a just transition.

“Plaid Cymru’s Welsh Green New Deal sets out Plaid Cymru’s exciting vision for Wales’ green economy. Not only do we set out plans to safeguard communities in south Wales from thousands of job losses in the steel industry, but we have an ambition to create rewarding, meaningful and fair work emerging in the green and net-zero sector to build a thriving economy.

“On 4 July the people of Wales have an opportunity to elect a Plaid Cymru MP to fight for their behalf in Westminster and to demand the powers we need to unlock our potential as a country.

ENDS

PLAID STANDS WITH THE STEELWORKERS

Plaid Cymru responds to news of steel workers strikes in Port Talbot

 

Responding to the news that Port Talbot steel workers are set to go on strike, Plaid Cymru spokesperson for the Economy, Luke Fletcher MS said:

 

“Plaid Cymru stands with our steel workers, the sector is vital for the future of the Welsh economy.

 

“Today’s announcement shows that workers are unified in fighting against the proposals from TATA.

 

“The Tories and Labour need to back the workers and set out a vision of what the future of steel may look like in Wales.

 

“We need to retain ability to produce primary steel in Wales. Whoever runs the UK Government in the next month should look to nationalise the Port Talbot steelworks.

 

“Failing this Welsh Government should explore options for compulsory purchase of the plant, while future options for greening steel production, including replacing coal with green hydrogen, are developed.”

 

ENDS