The Prime Minister has been told he is a total failure as the European Union is threatening 80,000 steel jobs are at risk.
In May Keir Starmer announced a new deal with the European Union claiming the Brexit reset will “get the best for the British people,” today his claim has been smashed into pieces.
The European Commission is planning to introduce 50% tariffs on steel, which is up from the current 25% and cut nearly half the amount steel to be sold without a tariff.
The British steel industry employs 33,700 workers and the wider supply chain has an added 42,000 people.
The director general for the trade body UK Steel, Gareth Stace warned this EU betrayal of the agreement is “perhaps the biggest crisis the UK steel industry has ever faced.”
Andrew Griffith MP, Shadow Business and Trade Secretary, said, “The government has no proper plan for steel. The threat of crippling 50% EU tariffs is yet more evidence that Keir Starmer has totally failed the industry.
“He pledged to ‘give UK steel its future back’ and keep tariffs down. Instead, steel workers have been hung out to dry on the international stage, while facing higher costs at home thanks to Labour’s tax grabs and overregulation.
“Labour have broken every promise, betraying an industry that is so vital to our security. Ministers are flailing as that industry threatens to collapse around them.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham is demanding that Starmer acts immediately, she said, “UK steel must be backed for the long term, the current piecemeal approach to our steel industry isn’t working.
“Without delay the UK must introduce strict rules to ensure that all UK infrastructure developments and all public sector projects must use domestically produced steel.
“This must be the first step in protecting a foundation industry which is critical for the economic success of our nation and vital for our national security.”
Starmer said, “I think our position in relation to our steel industry is one of strong support as you saw from Scunthorpe and Port Talbot.
“In relation to the question of tariffs or other measures, as you’d expect, we are in discussions with the EU about this, as we’re in discussions with the US about it.
“So I’ll be able to tell you more in due course but we are in discussions, as you’d expect.”
Alasdair McDiarmid, assistant general secretary at the Community trade union, said, “Given that around 80% of the UK’s steel exports go to Europe, the new measures proposed by the EU represent an existential threat to our industry, as well as the thousands of jobs and communities it supports right across the country.”
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