Labour pledges bright future for UK steel with plan to ‘Get Britain Building’

• Labour will invest alongside industry and the workforce in all available clean steel technologies to ensure UK steel can provide growth and economic security for decades; 

• Labour’s plans to Get Britain Building could fill the order books of Britain’s steel industry for decades to come; 

• Labour will speed up planning of critical infrastructure like rail and invest to build battery gigafactories, ports and renewable energy. 

Labour today pledged a bright future for UK steel, with its plan to make the UK a world leader in clean green steel with a long-term programme of investment in clean steel technologies delivered by its National Wealth Fund.  

Steel is totemic to Wales and is a key pillar of the UK’s collective economic security. The UK and its steel communities have the potential to be a world leader in clean steel.  

A Labour government will ditch petty Tory game playing and work hand in hand with the Welsh Labour Government to give this industry its future back. Steel communities in Wales and across the UK will play a central role in our mission to drive economic growth across all parts of the country.  

For 13 years, the Conservatives have failed to back Britain’s steel industry. The Government has let the industry decline, offshored jobs, and damaged communities. Their failure has undermined our economic security and resilience.  

The sector has lurched from crisis to crisis under the Tories, with a repeated cycle of bailouts and takeovers with no proper strategy to secure the sector's long-term future.  

Labour’s plan for green steel will cover the whole industry and will be open to all available clean steel technologies, working in partnership with the workforce as our greatest asset in delivering a world leading sector. 

Labour has outlined a decade long program of investment in all available clean steel technologies, which will invest alongside industry in new innovations to make the UK a world leader in clean steel.    

Labour will put the workforce at the heart of our offer and will work in partnership with workers to deliver a proper strategy for steel, alongside our plans for a new deal for working people.  

As industry has highlighted, almost every aspect of the UK’s decarbonisation plan is steel intensive, with 10 million tonnes of steel needed over the coming years for offshore wind, solar, nuclear, hydrogen and more. 

Labour’s plans to get Britain building will also create opportunities for UK steel, with the Shadow Chancellor outlining reforms to the planning system to quickly and cheaply deliver critical national infrastructure like rail and roads.  

Labour’s plan to do, make and sell more in Britain is a commitment to use strategic procurement for industrial strategy. Labour has set out plans to help British businesses win more government contracts, using stretching social, environmental and labour clauses in contract design to ensure British businesses and industries like steel are recognised for the high standards they meet.  

Our steel sector, shipyards, aerospace and materials industries as national assets vital for sectors like defence and we will ensure as much of our equipment as possible is designed and built here in the UK. 

This will be combined with our energy security plan to lower energy costs and drive long-term competitiveness. For too long, our steel industry has been held back by energy costs that are higher than European competitors.  

Speaking at a steelworks in Port Talbot today, Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, said:    

“A bastion of UK industry, British steel is integral to our growth and prosperity as a nation. From Port Talbot to Rutherglen, to Scunthorpe, it’s been the fabric of our society for generations.    

“But for far too long, our steel industry has been left behind at while our European allies forge ahead. We must turn this around. We must make Britain a world leader again. That means reform, investment, a proper industrial strategy, and proper decarbonisation.    

“That means greening the steel that will make the solar panels and wind turbines built to power our homes for years to come. That’s why I’ve made delivering clean power by 2030 one of my five missions for an incoming Labour government. It’s why our Green Prosperity Plan will provide a decade-long programme of investment in clean steel. We won’t stand back while these opportunities pass by. A Labour government I lead will roll up its sleeves and grab them with both hands.   

“Our investment will bring growth and economic security. Our planning reforms will turbocharge building of critical infrastructure. Our plans to get Britain building again will mean fuller order books and security for both industry and worker.   

“We will put party politics aside, partner with devolved regions, industry and trade unions alike to give UK steel its future back.”   

Ends 

Notes to editors 

Labour’s National Wealth Fund will create good, well-paying jobs by investing alongside the private sector in gigafactories, clean steel plants, renewable-ready ports, green hydrogen and energy storage.https://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Mission-Climate.pdf 

Labour’s Shadow Chancellor announced reforms to the planning system accelerate the building of critical national infrastructure. https://labour.org.uk/updates/stories/just-announced-labour-will-get-britain-building-again-in-major-boost-to-critical-infrastructure-projects/ 

Labour’s plan to do, make and sell more in Britain will use stretching social, environmental and labour clauses in contract design to recognise the value created by British business.