Well, it is almost all over for once-proud British Steel. After failing to get a big enough subsidy from Starmer’s government (Maybe he needs to give the money to Zelensky instead?), their last blast furnaces face being shut down. That is disappointing for British Steel’s owners … who are in China! Not to worry, there will still be a steel-making company in the UK … thanks to the Indian owners of Tata Steel.
The proponents of “Free Trade” assured us that it was OK for the UK (birthplace of the Industrial Revolution) to give up nasty dirty industries like steel to places like China and India while the Brits concentrated on high value, high tech industries like the great British production of computer chips, cell phones, computers, High Speed Rail, etc. Except that Free-Trading “climb the value-adding ladder” hasn’t quite worked out for the English. Nor for the US or anyplace else in the West, apparently, we must admit.
Biggest loser of course is Zelensky. Instead of getting usable weapons made out of British steel, Starmer can send him only freshly printed UK Pounds Sterling. Eventually we will learn that countries which lack an industrial infrastructure should not be belligerent – and should maybe start stockpiling white flags.
The delicious part of the sad story about the end of British Steel is that the vain pursuit of “Net Zero” was the straw that broke the steel-making camel’s back.
British Steel plans closure of plant after failing to agree package with UK government | AP News
