Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, visited the Scunthorpe site of British Steel today, expressing his support for the demands for nationalisation. Accompanying him were Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform, and Andrea Jenkyns, the party’s candidate for Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire. Farage warned that there are only ‘three days left to get the orders in’ for raw materials to keep Scunthorpe’s blast furnaces in operation beyond mid-May. Consequently, Reform UK is urging for the steelworks to be nationalised promptly. Farage stressed that an immediate nationalisation must occur this week to ‘save primary steel production in Britain’. He expressed his concern that if an agreement could not be reached, it would signify ‘the end of steelmaking in our country’, a prospect he found ‘unthinkable’. British Steel is currently in talks with its workforce and trade unions concerning the closure of Scunthorpe’s blast furnaces and the wider steelmaking operation, which could potentially affect up to 2,700 jobs. Martin Vickers MP advocated for temporary nationalisation during an urgent question in Parliament on Monday, April 7, warning that unless an order for iron ore pellets is made this week, the furnaces could run out of raw materials by mid-May.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk.
