Government considering renationalising British Steel, reports suggest

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. British Steel announced it would close its blast furnaces in Scunthorpe last year, replacing them with a less polluting electric arc furnace if it received “appropriate support” from the Government. Rather than forking out billions of taxpayer cash to reward private sector failure, the money should be used to renationalise our once proud steel sector.” Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, argued that steel should be designated as “critical infrastructure” and accused previous governments of “selling the family silver” by privatising companies such as British Steel. She said: “It is not radical to build a programme where we own our own critical infrastructure – including industries like energy and water.” Before the election, Labour pledged to make the UK a “world leader in clean, green steel”, and Sir Keir Starmer described the industry as part of “the fabric of our society” in places including Scunthorpe. A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said the Government had “no plans to nationalise British Steel”, but did not deny that it was an option under consideration.