Deeside MP left disappointed after meeting with Business Secretary Sajid Javid

[vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/1″][text_output]Deeside MP Mark Tami was left unimpressed this week with the Secretary of State for Business following a meeting between the All Party Steel Group and Sajid Javid in Westminster.

Mark Tami MP said he was left ‘none the wiser’ as to what the Government intends to do with the steel industry.

Despite the meeting doing little to shed any further light on the future of the steel industry; Mark Tami ensured that Shotton’s voice was heard.

He expressed his concern that the crisis is being perceived as a ‘Port Talbot issue’ rather than what it actually is, a crisis that is affecting the UK steel industry in its entirety.

Picture of Sajid Javid: The Guardian.

Mr Tami also echoed these concerns in Tuesday’s emergency debate where he spoke passionately on the UK steel industry.

Labour members warned the Government for months about the likelihood of Tata ceasing its operations in Port Talbot.

Mr Tami slammed the Government for ignoring these warnings and suggested that the Government have repeatedly done too little, too late.

Addressing the meeting Mr Tami expressed the overwhelming importance of time, he said;

“Time is needed not only to find a buyer for the whole of the UK business, but to allow the downstream businesses, like Shotton who rely on the Port Talbot supply chain, to find an alternative steel supplier should the worst happen.”

“Time is also needed to reassure customers, before they become completely disillusioned and start to leave and walk away.

The MP for Alyn and Deeside finished his speech with heartfelt remarks on how Shotton more than most, knows about the impact of job losses in the industry.

He expressed his concern that such job losses destroy whole communities, and he hopes the Government now take the necessary steps to save the industry and assure its long-term future.

Angela Eagle MP, Shadow First Secretary of State and Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, speaking following the emergency debate on the UK steel industry, said:

“Today was Sajid Javid’s big chance to set out a comprehensive plan to save the steel industry. I’m afraid it must go down as yet another missed opportunity.

“Labour have been warning of the growing crisis facing steel for months, and we have developed a four point plan to save our steel. Today we called for clarity on what the Secretary of State means by ‘co-investment’ and demanded a commitment to secure the future of the blast furnaces. We called for a modern and intelligent industrial policy, we called for reassurances for the customer base, and, most importantly, we called for action on Chinese dumping. The Secretary of State failed to deliver on each and every issue.

“Steel is a foundation industry which is absolutely essential for manufacturing and for our economy. We’ve had enough warm words from the Tory Government. We need to see some concrete action.”[/text_output][/vc_column][/vc_row]