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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2016/mar/31/tata-steel-crisis-david-cameron-chairs-emergency-meeting-live-updates
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| Tata steel crisis: David Cameron chairs emergency meeting - live updates | Tata steel crisis: David Cameron chairs emergency meeting - live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.59am BST | |
| 08:59 | |
| Ministers arrive for crisis meeting | |
| The Steel crisis emergency meeting is underway now, as David Cameron tries to get to grips with the crisis. | |
| Several ministers have been spotted arriving at Number 10 this morning, including small business minister Anna Soubry, work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb. | |
| According to Sky News, Welsh secretary Alun Cairns had to run up Downing Street to avoid being late. | |
| Updated | |
| at 9.01am BST | |
| 8.49am BST | |
| 08:49 | |
| Unite’s Len McCluskey then urges David Cameron to recall parliament to discuss the crisis, and set up a steel taskforce. | |
| Q: Should we follow Scotland’s example and take temporary control of the steel industry? | |
| Yes, McCluskey replies. The Scottish government sent a message that they take the crisis seriously* | |
| [* - by buying two steel works, and then quickly selling them onto another country called Liberty House] | |
| 8.46am BST | |
| 08:46 | |
| Unite union: Cameron must take personal responsibility | |
| Len McCluskey, head of the Unite union, is on the Today Programme now to discuss the steel crisis. | |
| Q: Is there a direct analogy between what we did for the banks after the financial crisis, and what we could do for steel now? | |
| Absolutely, McCluskey replies. The National Audit Office says we put one thousand billion pounds of taxpayers money into the banks to secure their survival, because the government felt they were so important to the economy. | |
| That’s precisely what we should do now for steel. | |
| We are appealing to David Cameron to take “personal responsibility” and recall parliament. | |
| This is an industrial crisis of “enormous proportions”, McKluskey continues. It doesn’t just affect 40,000 workers, it affects our entire manufacturing base. | |
| It’s absolutely essential that a foundation industry like steel is protected in order that we can have the much-vaunted march of the makers that the government talks about. | |
| Q: But we couldn’t have functioned as a country without the banks. We can buy steel from 60 countries around the world, and it’s available cheaply. We don’t need a steel industry of its current size. | |
| That’s terribly short-sighted, says McCluskey. Industries such as automotive, aerospace, defence, engineering, all require steel..... | |
| Q: And they can buy it cheaply | |
| ...That’s low-quality Chinese steel that most countries won’t take. Unfortunately Britain allows it in. | |
| Other European countries protect their steel industry - Germany makes four times as much steel as the UK. | |
| And if we don’t have our own steel industry, it will cause serious knock-on effects to the rest of the economy. | |
| Q: But if we support steel, taxpayers will have to pay £1m per day... to support an industry of [just] 40,000 people. | |
| Millions of people work in manufacturing... that sector is already stuttering along, McCluskey says. It will suffer further if the steel industry dies. | |
| Q: But cheap steel is a good thing for many UK industries. | |
| There are different qualities of steel. We just used Swedish steel to build Royal Navy ships - that’s ludicrous. The government should use its procurement powers to ensure British steel is used for these projects. | |
| 8.25am BST | 8.25am BST |
| 08:25 | 08:25 |
| Speaking of shambles....it appears that business secretary Sajid Javid won’t be back in London until this afternoon (or later) to tackle the crisis despite cutting his trip to Australia short yesterday. | Speaking of shambles....it appears that business secretary Sajid Javid won’t be back in London until this afternoon (or later) to tackle the crisis despite cutting his trip to Australia short yesterday. |
| The Times has the details: | The Times has the details: |
| The business secretary had boarded a flight to Australia, where he was meeting Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister, hours before a board meeting at Tata’s headquarters in Mumbai to decide the future of its British steel operation. He touched down during the Tata meeting on Tuesday evening. | The business secretary had boarded a flight to Australia, where he was meeting Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister, hours before a board meeting at Tata’s headquarters in Mumbai to decide the future of its British steel operation. He touched down during the Tata meeting on Tuesday evening. |
| Aides claim that they gave “serious consideration” to aborting the trip but he decided to continue because no firm decision had been made. Less than 24 hours later he decided to head home but missed the last flight and spent another night in Sydney. He will be back by mid-afternoon today at the earliest. | Aides claim that they gave “serious consideration” to aborting the trip but he decided to continue because no firm decision had been made. Less than 24 hours later he decided to head home but missed the last flight and spent another night in Sydney. He will be back by mid-afternoon today at the earliest. |
| It also emerged that ten civil servants from the business department were attending a “resilience” training course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art yesterday. | It also emerged that ten civil servants from the business department were attending a “resilience” training course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art yesterday. |
| More here: Chaotic steel crisis response puts 40,000 jobs at risk | More here: Chaotic steel crisis response puts 40,000 jobs at risk |
| Javid did at least attend a black tie dinner, before heading back to the airport. | Javid did at least attend a black tie dinner, before heading back to the airport. |
| On @ITVEveningNews watch @sajidjavid attend black-tie dinner in Sydney (before he's told to return) #PortTalbot pic.twitter.com/HrN1QGRKOg | On @ITVEveningNews watch @sajidjavid attend black-tie dinner in Sydney (before he's told to return) #PortTalbot pic.twitter.com/HrN1QGRKOg |
| 8.12am BST | 8.12am BST |
| 08:12 | 08:12 |
| Stephen Kinnock also concedes that full-scale nationalisation of Tata UK could be ‘very difficult’. | Stephen Kinnock also concedes that full-scale nationalisation of Tata UK could be ‘very difficult’. |
| But the government must “step up to the place” and make it clear that it will support the steelworks until a buyer is found, and give people a sense of hope. | But the government must “step up to the place” and make it clear that it will support the steelworks until a buyer is found, and give people a sense of hope. |
| 8.09am BST | 8.09am BST |
| 08:09 | 08:09 |
| Stephen Kinnock: Government in 'total disarray' | Stephen Kinnock: Government in 'total disarray' |
| Stephen Kinnock, Labour MP for the South Wales constituency of Aberavon, is discussing the steel crisis now on Sky News. | Stephen Kinnock, Labour MP for the South Wales constituency of Aberavon, is discussing the steel crisis now on Sky News. |
| Kinnock says he “flabbergasted by the incompetence” shown by the government over the crisis. | Kinnock says he “flabbergasted by the incompetence” shown by the government over the crisis. |
| He says: | He says: |
| It’s a total shambles, and it’s been a shambles for years. | It’s a total shambles, and it’s been a shambles for years. |
| Steel industry has been facing problems for five or six years, Kinnock continues, including dumping of Chinese steel, expensive energy, not enough action on public procurement. | Steel industry has been facing problems for five or six years, Kinnock continues, including dumping of Chinese steel, expensive energy, not enough action on public procurement. |
| It’s absolutely extraordinary that they’ve been asleep at the wheel for this long. | It’s absolutely extraordinary that they’ve been asleep at the wheel for this long. |
| Kinnock’s constituency includes the Port Talbot steel works, so he flew to Mumbai with union leaders this week to lobby the Tata board before it took its decision. | Kinnock’s constituency includes the Port Talbot steel works, so he flew to Mumbai with union leaders this week to lobby the Tata board before it took its decision. |
| He’s disappointed that business secretary Sajid Javid wasn’t there too, as the government knew that 29 March was “D-Day for Tata Steel”. | He’s disappointed that business secretary Sajid Javid wasn’t there too, as the government knew that 29 March was “D-Day for Tata Steel”. |
| A plan should have been put in place to provide Tata the help it needs, and squared with the European Commission to avoid state aid problems. | A plan should have been put in place to provide Tata the help it needs, and squared with the European Commission to avoid state aid problems. |
| Instead, Kinnock concludes, David Cameron is behaving as if he didn’t see this crisis coming. | Instead, Kinnock concludes, David Cameron is behaving as if he didn’t see this crisis coming. |
| They’re in total disarray. They either don’t care or they’re so incompetent that they simply don’t know what they’re doing. | They’re in total disarray. They either don’t care or they’re so incompetent that they simply don’t know what they’re doing. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 8.16am BST | at 8.16am BST |
| 7.54am BST | 7.54am BST |
| 07:54 | 07:54 |
| Steel crisis: What the papers say | Steel crisis: What the papers say |
| Today’s front page headlines make uncomfortable reading for David Cameron. | Today’s front page headlines make uncomfortable reading for David Cameron. |
| The Mirror accuse the PM of betraying Britain’s steel workers: | The Mirror accuse the PM of betraying Britain’s steel workers: |
| Thursday's Mirror front page:Betrayed - Government's abject failure puts 40,000 jobs at risk#tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/G7PcUHBo1B | Thursday's Mirror front page:Betrayed - Government's abject failure puts 40,000 jobs at risk#tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/G7PcUHBo1B |
| The Guardian reports Labour accusing the government of being in disarray: | The Guardian reports Labour accusing the government of being in disarray: |
| Thursday's Guardian front page:Ministers in ‘disarray’ over steel industry#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/kD7bwJwrig | Thursday's Guardian front page:Ministers in ‘disarray’ over steel industry#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/kD7bwJwrig |
| The Financial Times says Cameron faces “acute political difficulty” over the crisis: | The Financial Times says Cameron faces “acute political difficulty” over the crisis: |
| Thursday's FT:Battle to save UK steelmaking as Tata says business worth nothing#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/aOI7ELxjSb | Thursday's FT:Battle to save UK steelmaking as Tata says business worth nothing#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/aOI7ELxjSb |
| While Metro says Cameron’s decision to chair today’s meeting could be ‘too little, too late’: | While Metro says Cameron’s decision to chair today’s meeting could be ‘too little, too late’: |
| Thursday's Metro front page: 40,000 jobs on the line #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/XmrNz0oX8V | Thursday's Metro front page: 40,000 jobs on the line #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/XmrNz0oX8V |
| 7.43am BST | 7.43am BST |
| 07:43 | 07:43 |
| The agenda: David Cameron chairs emergency meeting on steel | The agenda: David Cameron chairs emergency meeting on steel |
| Good morning. | Good morning. |
| David Cameron’s hopes of a quiet Easter break have been shattered by the crisis gripping Britain’s steel industry. | David Cameron’s hopes of a quiet Easter break have been shattered by the crisis gripping Britain’s steel industry. |
| Having dashed back from his family holiday in Lanzarote, the prime minister will chair an emergency meeting in Downing Street on the issue. | Having dashed back from his family holiday in Lanzarote, the prime minister will chair an emergency meeting in Downing Street on the issue. |
| Top of the agenda: How to save 15,000 jobs at Tata UK’s steel operations, which are now up for sale, plus another 25,000 workers in associated industries. | Top of the agenda: How to save 15,000 jobs at Tata UK’s steel operations, which are now up for sale, plus another 25,000 workers in associated industries. |
| What can the PM do? Ideally, the government wants to keep the steel mills running while a buyer is found. But with Tata UK’s losing £1m per day, that’s a difficult option - even though the Indian conglomerate is prepared to ‘give it away for nothing’, we hear. | What can the PM do? Ideally, the government wants to keep the steel mills running while a buyer is found. But with Tata UK’s losing £1m per day, that’s a difficult option - even though the Indian conglomerate is prepared to ‘give it away for nothing’, we hear. |
| Temporary public ownership has been mooted, to help protect workers until the business is in new hands. | Temporary public ownership has been mooted, to help protect workers until the business is in new hands. |
| Union leaders are pushing for full-scale nationalisation to be considered, but business secretary Sajid Javid has already signalled that it’s not an option. | Union leaders are pushing for full-scale nationalisation to be considered, but business secretary Sajid Javid has already signalled that it’s not an option. |
| So, quite a mess, with industry insiders warning that there are just a few weeks to find a solution. | So, quite a mess, with industry insiders warning that there are just a few weeks to find a solution. |
| Cameron is also playing political catch-up. Tata’s decision to sell up seems to have come as a shock to the government, forcing Sajid Javid to scramble back from Australia yesterday. | Cameron is also playing political catch-up. Tata’s decision to sell up seems to have come as a shock to the government, forcing Sajid Javid to scramble back from Australia yesterday. |
| This left the stage clear for Labour; with Jeremy Corbyn telling Port Talbot workers last night that the PM must take immediate steps to guarantee steel’s future. | This left the stage clear for Labour; with Jeremy Corbyn telling Port Talbot workers last night that the PM must take immediate steps to guarantee steel’s future. |
| Corbyn is also pushing for parliament to be recalled to discuss the crisis. Downing Street is refusing, but a petition set up by the labour leader has now attracted 87,000 signatures. | Corbyn is also pushing for parliament to be recalled to discuss the crisis. Downing Street is refusing, but a petition set up by the labour leader has now attracted 87,000 signatures. |
| Also coming up today..... | Also coming up today..... |
| A new estimate of UK GDP for the last three months of 2015 is released at 9.30am. That is likely to confirm that Britain remains dependent on its service sector for growth, with manufacturing stuck in recession. | A new estimate of UK GDP for the last three months of 2015 is released at 9.30am. That is likely to confirm that Britain remains dependent on its service sector for growth, with manufacturing stuck in recession. |
| Chancellor George Osborne is in Paris for a meeting of G20 finance ministers. | Chancellor George Osborne is in Paris for a meeting of G20 finance ministers. |
| And Bank of England governor Mark Carney is speaking in Toyko, at a session on financial stability. Maybe he’ll have some views on the steel crisis.... | And Bank of England governor Mark Carney is speaking in Toyko, at a session on financial stability. Maybe he’ll have some views on the steel crisis.... |
| We’ll be tracking all the main events through the day.... | We’ll be tracking all the main events through the day.... |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 8.07am BST | at 8.07am BST |