‘Positive talks’ in steel buyer search

There have been “several very positive discussions” with the manufacturing giant interested in reviving Tata Steel’s Lanarkshire plants, the Scottish Government has confirmed.

Liberty House expressed an interest in purchasing the mothballed Clydebridge and Dalzell factories at the beginning of the year, two months after Tata Steel entered into exclusive talks with Greybull Capital about a potential buyout of its UK operation.

This week after another meeting of the Scottish Steel Task Force, a Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Steel Taskforce is doing everything possible to attract an alternative operator for the steel plants in Scotland.

“In January, Liberty House wrote to the First Minister to confirm its interest in the two Scottish sites. Since then there have been several very positive discussions and we are working hard to achieve the best possible future for the plants.

“All parties are working constructively together to ensure a viable future for the plants and secure a sustainable future for Scottish steel.”

The Scottish Government has taken action to reduce energy costs, business rates and procurement costs for the steel industry in an attempt to make the Cambuslang and Motherwell plants an attractive business proposition.

More than 200 people were told their jobs were at risk when Tata Steel announced it was seizing its Scottish operation in October.

The company said increasing production costs and the dumping of Chinese steel on the market meant it was increasingly difficult to compete.