David Cameron to chair steel industry meeting at number 10

David Cameron will chair a government meeting today to form a response to the crisis in the UK’s steel industry that threatens thousands of British jobs.

It comes amid criticism his response has been slow to respond to mounting pressure on the Steel industry, with Tata steel yesterday confirming they will close a plant at Port Talbot in Wales.

Tata Steel is looking to resolve the future of its UK business within weeks, as it emerged that billions of pounds are needed to make it viable. 

Business Secretary Sajid Javid has ruled out public ownership but said the Government was ready to provide support to any potential buyer of the Port Talbot plant.

Last year Tata's Motherwell and Clydebridge factories were set to close but the Scottish Government has been brokering a deal with metal company Liberty Group.

Liberty has said its interest in the rest of the UK business would depend on support from Tata and the UK government.

Javid cut short an official visit to Australia yesterday in order to return to the UK. He is expected to visit the area.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn returned early from his own holiday in Devon to visit Port Talbot yesterday, urging the Prime Minister to recall Parliament over the crisis.

Cameron will gather ministers from relevant departments at Downing Street this morning.

Cameron spoke to Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones yesterday and said the Government would do “everything possible to secure the future of steel making at Port Talbot and elsewhere in the UK”.

Labour has also accused George Osborne of rejecting a tax break that could have aided the steel industry.

EEF, the manufacturing trade body, was lobbying ahead of the recent Budget for the Government to exempt plant and machinery from the calculations of business rates.

The Times reported later that Osborne had chosen not to go ahead with the policy “at the last minute”.

Shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle said: “This month’s Budget was a missed opportunity by the Tory Government to help the steel industry at this difficult time.

“The Government should be doing everything possible to protect the industry but these latest revelations reveal the Tories have no strategy for steel. It’s clear that steel workers in the UK are paying the price for the Tories’ wrong priorities.

Business rates at the Scottish steel plants at Clydebridge and Dalzell are set to be reduced from April by the Scottish Government