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.”