British Steel could be nationalised as PM and chancellor consider ‘all options’

The Guardian ^ | Tue 8 Apr 2025 | Rowena Mason

[MinorityRepublican]

Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are actively considering nationalising British Steel in an escalation of plans first revealed in the Guardian last year.

The prime minister said all options were on the table to secure the future of the Scunthorpe plant, which is owned by the Chinese firm Jingye and employs about 3,500 people.

The possibility of nationalisation was first revealed in December but discussions have taken on fresh urgency with US tariffs and talks about a financial support package to move to less polluting technology having faltered.

The government has now been forced to consider more drastic options, ranging from nationalisation to buying materials to keep the blast furnaces going.

If the plant is stopped, it could be even less economical to reopen, with only about 48 hours to buy raw materials to keep it burning. The facility makes the steel for almost all UK rail tracks.

Whitehall sources said Starmer and Reeves were aligned in considering steel to be of “huge strategic importance” and that “all options are on the table, including nationalisation”. The chancellor spoke to union leaders involved in talks over the weekend and made clear her support for the steel industry.

Starmer promised a hearing of parliament’s liaison committee on Tuesday that he would do everything he could to keep a functioning steel industry in the UK. “We are doing our everything we can to ensure there’s a bright future for Scunthorpe,” the prime minister said.

[escapefromboston]

It was a pretty good Judas Priest album but I don’t know if they should nationalize it

[DesertRhino]

British efficiency again. Close their last steel mill, and THEN nationalize the steel industry.

Clowns.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Because government bureaucrats know so much about producing steel.

[dforest]

Yeah, just nationalize everything UK to fight those commies...oh wait.

[simpson96]

Nationalizing businesses.

There was a lot of that in Atlas Shrugged...

[Frank Drebin]

"Nationalizing businesses. There was a lot of that in Atlas Shrugged..."

And Nazi Germany.

[wally_bert]

All the UK needs is their version of 10-289.

The real version would no doubt be far worse than what Ayn Rand came up with.

[wally_bert]

Herr Starmer is on the case.

[Leaning Right]

The ChiComs own the steel plant. And the incompetent, socialist UK government wants to nationalize it.

I actually don’t know who to root for here.

[MinorityRepublican]

I actually don’t know who to root for here.

Good question.

They're probably better off with the Chinese running it.

Keir is woke. He'll require the plant to run on solar power or something like that.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

From one commie to another.

[ChildOfThe60s]

It worked well for BSA/Triump/Norton

[Libloather]

[Governor Dinwiddie]

That's the ticket. The UK has destroyed how many industries by nationalizing them? The coal industry is dead in Britain. The last coal fired electric generation plant closed last September.

[Don W]

THIS is what I think of when I hear "British Steel"!

[Don W]

GMTA, see my #16 LOL

[T.B. Yoits]

Nice

[SaxxonWoods]

Nationalization: The govt has blown it completely and the only answer is more govt.

[Kriggerel]

Someone’s only Making Plans for Nigel?