PARLIAMENT is being recalled tomorrow for an emergency Saturday session as the future of British Steel teeters on the brink.
MPs have had their Easter holidays cut short to be summoned back to Westminster for a vote on measures to rescue the vital industry.
Parliament has been recalled for a rare Saturday sitting[/caption]
MPs will vote on a new law giving government powers to bring steelmaking under its control.
It could pave the way for British Steel to be nationalised to save it from collapsing entirely.
The last time Parliament sat on Saturday was in 2021 after the Taliban overthrew the Afghan government. It has only sat on a weekend 34 times since the war.
Chinese firm Jingye, the owner of British Steel, has refused to foot the bill for coal imports itself after announcing plans to shut operations entirely.
The move risks nearly 3,000 British jobs and would make Britain the only G7 country unable to manufacture its own steel.
It is believed MPs will vote on legislation for the government to take over British Steel to keep the last-remaining Scunthorpe plant open.
A No10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister has been clear, his government will always act in the national interest.
“All actions we take are in the name of British industry, British jobs and for British workers.
“Tomorrow Parliament will be recalled to debate the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill. The Bill provides the government with the power to direct steel companies in England, which we will use to protect the Scunthorpe site.
“It enables the UK government to preserve capability and ensure public safety. It also ensures all options remain viable for the future of the plant and the livelihoods it supports.”
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: “Under Standing Order No. 13, I have granted a request from the Government to recall the House of Commons at 11am on 12 April to take forward legislative proposals to ensure the continued operation of British Steel blast furnaces is safeguarded.”
Last-ditch negotiations with British Steel’s Chinese owners have seen the Government offer to buy emergency coal from abroad to keep Scunthorpe’s blast furnaces fired up.
But the move has sparked fury as it comes just months after bungling Energy Secretary Ed Miliband blocked a new UK coal mine – leaving Britain reliant on imported coal.
Tees Valley Mayor Lord Ben Houchen fumed: “The Government is now financially subsidising a Chinese-owned company by buying coal for them and importing it, all the while refusing to allow a new coal mine to be opened that would create British jobs.”
Labour is facing mounting pressure from steel unions, senior Tories and Reform UK to nationalise British Steel.
Worried steelworkers told The Sun that without a commitment for raw material supplies by Friday evening, the furnaces are set to shut down permanently.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds held emergency talks with British Steel bosses this week and pledged to “work at pace” – while the Prime Minister said “all options are on the table”, including nationalisation.
Sir Keir Starmer told ITV yesterday: “I’ve been to Scunthorpe to talk to the workforce there and the management there.
“I know just how much it means to them and obviously to the wider community and to the country in terms of the production of steel and that’s why I’ve said all options are on the table.
“We’re in those discussions but I have in my mind’s eye the workforce and the production of steel in the United Kingdom as we make these decisions.”
The Government has now formally put the coal-buying offer in writing, but Jingye is yet to accept.