May under attack after steel site visit

THE PRIME Minister has been criticised for visiting a town where unions held a long campaign to save steelworkers’ jobs.

Community said Theresa May was taking a personal interest for the first time during a visit to British Steel in Scunthorpe.

General secretary Roy Rickhuss said: “Theresa May’s visit to Scunthorpe today is just shameless electioneering. Today is the first time the Prime Minister has taken a personal interest in the steel industry, despite direct requests from us for her to do so, on a number of occasions since she took office.

“The Prime Minister has always made it very clear that the steel industry is not a sufficiently high enough priority to warrant her attention and has just left things to the business department. Obviously we disagreed with her decision as we believe that the future of our steel industry is of national, strategic importance and indeed we welcomed the interest shown by her predecessor.

“I’m sure Theresa May wants a strong and stable industrial strategy, and if so, then she needs a strong and stable steel industry.

“That needs a government and a Prime Minister that thinks about the steel industry as more than just the location of its next photo opportunity.”

Earlier it was revealed £660,000 is being invested to help safeguard the future of the steel industry in Wales. The Welsh Government said the grant is being made available to Tata Steel to develop products at its sites in Port Talbot and Llanwern.