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| Steel crisis: business secretary confronted by Tata workers | Steel crisis: business secretary confronted by Tata workers |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Sajid Javid has urged Tata Steel to push on with selling its UK business as he was confronted by hundreds of steelworkers in Port Talbot, on his first visit to the crisis-hit site since its future was thrown into doubt three days ago. | Sajid Javid has urged Tata Steel to push on with selling its UK business as he was confronted by hundreds of steelworkers in Port Talbot, on his first visit to the crisis-hit site since its future was thrown into doubt three days ago. |
| The beleaguered business secretary also said he did not regret taking so long to make the journey to south Wales after cutting short a family trip to Australia,saying it was important to spend time with his daughter. | |
| Related: Tata steel crisis: Sajid Javid tells workers there's time to reach a deal - live | Related: Tata steel crisis: Sajid Javid tells workers there's time to reach a deal - live |
| “I think the most immediate need is for Tata to set out its offer document with the details and to make sure that all potential buyers have all the relevant information they would need. You would naturally expect them to want that early on ... so they can complete that due diligence as quickly as possible,” he said. | “I think the most immediate need is for Tata to set out its offer document with the details and to make sure that all potential buyers have all the relevant information they would need. You would naturally expect them to want that early on ... so they can complete that due diligence as quickly as possible,” he said. |
| Javid reiterated that nationalising the Port Talbot steelworks was “not a viable long-term solution” but said he would “work with potential buyers and listen to how we can help”. | Javid reiterated that nationalising the Port Talbot steelworks was “not a viable long-term solution” but said he would “work with potential buyers and listen to how we can help”. |
| Javid met staff at Port Talbot amid growing criticism of the government’s handling of the crisis, which has put 40,000 jobs at risk. He insisted the government had led calls in Europe for higher tariffs on Chinese steel, which has been dumped in the UK and dragged down steel prices. | |
| The business secretary has been criticised for blocking EU attempts to raise tariffs against Chinese steel and for heading to Australia when Tata was set to decide on the future of its UK operations. | The business secretary has been criticised for blocking EU attempts to raise tariffs against Chinese steel and for heading to Australia when Tata was set to decide on the future of its UK operations. |
| However, asked whether he regretted taking his daughter on the trip, he said: “Oh not at all ... call me old-fashioned but I’m a father who likes to spend as much time as possible with my children and if that means ... squeezing it in at work or on a business trip then that’s what I would do.” | |
| Responding to criticism that it made the trip look like a “jolly”, he said: “Well I certainly wouldn’t call going to Australia for a couple of days and packing it with meetings a jolly.” | |
| Javid also said there was no reason to think Tata’s UK steel business would fall into administration. | |
| Speaking to hundreds of Port Talbot workers outside, he said he expected there to be formal expressions of interest once the sale process officially launched. Javid called on Tata to be responsible and allow enough time for buyers to be found. | Speaking to hundreds of Port Talbot workers outside, he said he expected there to be formal expressions of interest once the sale process officially launched. Javid called on Tata to be responsible and allow enough time for buyers to be found. |