It’s time for Nicola to show some steel

FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has vowed that she would leave no stone unturned in seeking to save what remains of the once-proud Scottish steel industry.

Addressing the SNP conference, Miss Sturgeon cast herself as the tireless champion of 400 Scottish workers who face redundancy if – as expected – manufacturer Tata announces today that it is to close works across the United Kingdom.

But there is precious little evidence that the First Minister has done anything to prevent this catastrophe for hundreds of families. Stones, it appear, remain completely unturned.

If Tata proceeds with the closure plans, staff at the company’s Dalzell and Clydebridge plants will find themselves surplus to requirements in the job market; the industry which they have served will no longer exist in Scotland.

Tata says it has faced serious challenges in Britain because of a surge in cheap Asian steel imports and the strong pound.

The Scottish Government could have acted years ago to secure Scotland’s steel industry but did not do so precisely because of the availability of that cut-price steel from overseas.

In 2012, Tata bid for – and failed to win – the contract to supply steel to build the new £1.4billion Forth crossing. Had the Scottish Government tried then to reach a deal with the company, the steel industry in Scotland might not be on its deathbed today.

Doubtless, the SNP will promise assistance and support to those workers affected, but compassionate words won’t compensate for the loss of their livelihoods.