I've never seen anything like it. The British steel industry is literally hours from total collapse, and the government is running around like headless chickens trying to figure out what the hell to do about it. My brother-in-law works at one of these plants and texted me last night: "We're all just waiting for the axe to fall."
God. The desperation is palpable.
When Coal Becomes Political Football
In a move that reeks of irony so thick you could cut it with a... well, a steel blade... ministers are now offering to buy emergency coal from abroad to keep Scunthorpe's blast furnaces from going cold. Yeah, you read that right. The same government that's been beating the Net Zero drum is suddenly scrambling to import coal.
This comes just months after Energy Secretary Ed Miliband blocked plans for a new coal mine in Cumbria. I remember watching that announcement back in January and thinking, "This is gonna bite someone in the arse eventually." Didn't expect it to happen quite so spectacularly or so soon.
The whole thing is a mess. British Steel's Chinese owner Jingye has basically thrown their hands up and said "not our problem" when it comes to paying for coal imports. They've already announced plans to shut everything down.
Workers Left in Limbo (Again)
I spoke with three steelworkers yesterday afternoon. One of them - let's call him Dave - has been at the Scunthorpe plant for 22 years. "Without a solid commitment by tonight," he told me, "those furnaces are going cold permanently. Once that happens, there's no coming back."
The atmosphere is toxic. Families hanging by a thread.
Nearly 3,000 jobs on the line, and Britain would become the only G7 country that can't make its own steel. Let that sink in for a moment.
So What's the Government's Brilliant Plan?
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has been locked in talks with British Steel bosses. I attended one of his press briefings in 2023 and wasn't impressed then. Not feeling any more confident now.
Meanwhile, PM Keir Starmer is doing that political dance we've all seen before - "all options are on teh table," including nationalisation. Heard that one before.
The coal-buying offer has now been formally put in writing, but Jingye hasn't given an answer. They're probably laughing all the way to Beijing about how they've got the British government over a barrel.
The Painful Hypocrisy That Nobody's Talking About
Lord Ben Houchen (Tory Tees Valley Mayor) didn't mince words: "The Government is now financially subsidising a Chinese-owned company by buying coal for them and importing it, all the while refusing to allow a new coal mine to be opened that would create British jobs."
I spent $350 on dinner with an energy policy expert last week (don't tell my wife), and even he couldn't make sense of the contradictions. "It's like building a boat while actively drilling holes in the hull," he said between sips of overpriced wine.
What Happens Next?
While this steel crisis unfolds, Labour is apparently ready to greenlight the Sizewell C nuclear power plant in Suffolk, along with some mini reactors. Too little, too late for the steel industry? Probably.
I've been covering industrial policy for 11 years, adn I've never seen such a perfect storm of bad decisions, poor timing, and contradictory messaging.
The clock is ticking. By the time you're reading this, we might already be witnessing the end of British steelmaking as we know it.
Like watching a car crash in slow motion.
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Did you miss our previous article...
https://hellofaread.com/politics/gove-gets-a-fancy-seat-as-sunak-plays-santa-with-peerages-to-his-inner-circle
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