Now will the Tories buy British steel?

Calls to support UK producers

STEEL chiefs are launching a fresh bid to urge the Government and big firms to buy British and boost the industry.

Sector bosses will call on Whitehall ministries, major companies and huge infrastructure projects to purchase UK-made metals for multi-million-pound schemes.

They want them to sign a new charter aimed at maximising the use of domestic product.

The Government is expected to buy £2.5billion of steel over five years for rail, road, school, hospital and warship projects. Gareth Stace, of trade body UK Steel, said ahead of its charter launch in Parliament next week: “This will encourage as many organisations as possible to take a more thoughtful approach to their procurement of steel.”

Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of steelworkers’ union Community, added: “This is a welcome step forward [ for] our industry.”

The scheme was also backed by British Steel, the country’s secondbiggest producer, which is in talks with

HINT Penny Mordaunt ministers about a lifesaving government loan. Boss Gerald Reichmann said: “We encourage as many signatories as possible.” The charter is a boost for the Mirror’s Save Our Steel campaign, which launched amid huge job losses in 2015. It comes as Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt hinted a UK shipyard will win a £1billion deal to build Royal Navy support ships. She said: “What’s needed is a closer partnership with industry that gives them confidence to invest... and us confidence we can and we must buy British.”