UK Politics

Keir Starmer aims to pass emergency law in one day to prevent closure of British Steel plantMPs have backed the government’s plans to take control of British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant during an emergency debate in parliament. While MPs voted in a rare emergency debate on a bill for the government to take over British Steel, workers outside of the plant blocked Chinese executives’ access to key areas, it has been reported. Sir Keir Starmer called the session on Saturday to debate emergency legislation aimed at blocking the firm’s Chinese owners, Jingye, from closing blast furnaces at the Lincolnshire site, after the prime minister warned the future of the company “hangs in the balance”.After crunch talks with Jingye, officials in the Department for Business and Trade believed its intention was to stop the supply of raw materials needed to keep the blast furnaces operating. If the furnaces are stopped, it is extremely difficult and costly to them back online.Officials made it clear on Friday the bill allowing the government to take control of the plant was being tabled in a bid to keep the site’s blast furnaces online. It was approved by MPs following several hours of debate.The legislation will give the government “the power to direct steel companies in England, which we will use to protect the Scunthorpe site”, Downing Street said.Steelworkers union back government plan after Chinese owners failed to consult ‘in good faith’A union representing Steelworkers in Britain has backed the government after it won a vote to take over British Steel.Alasdair McDiarmid Assistant General Secretary of Community Union, The Steelworkers Union, said: “Community Union welcomes and wholeheartedly backs the Labour Government’s decisive action to take control of British Steel.“The government has sought to negotiate constructively and even offered to buy raw materials to stop the blast furnaces closing, but Jingye have shut down every avenue to keep the furnaces running and avoid imminent job losses.“Moreover, Jingye has not consulted in good faith with the unions, and they now need to get out of the road to give space to all those who want to see British Steel succeed.“Today’s intervention by the UK Labour government is a first step towards securing a sustainable future for British Steel and steel communities like Scunthorpe. “We will continue to work with the government to deliver this future and build a thriving UK steel industry which supports thousands of good jobs and the economic security of our country.”12 April 2025 15:40PM makes surprise visit to British Steel’s Scunthorpe plantThe prime minister met British Steel workers near Scunthorpe shortly after MPs backed a rescue plan for the steelworks.Sir Keir Starmer told the steelworkers: “You are the people who have kept this going.“You and your colleagues for years have been the backbone of British Steel, and it’s really important that we recognise that.“And I felt it was really important today, having been in Parliament this morning, to come straight up here to see you face to face to have that discussion with you.“Because this shouldn’t be a removed thing that’s happening down in Westminster, in Parliament, it should be something that’s living and breathing. It’s your jobs, your lives, your communities, your families.”The steelworkers thanked the Prime Minister for the Government’s action, with one adding: “We’re not there yet, we’ve still got a lot of hard work to do.”Sir Keir Starmer tells British Steelworkers, “You are the people who have kept this going.” More

Keir Starmer has delayed going on holiday with his family to attend an emergency session of Parliament to save British Steel. No 10 confirmed the prime minister had been planning to jet off on the trip, expected to be to southern Europe, but is now expected to leave on Sunday instead. It comes as MPs meet to back government plans to all but nationalise British Steel after the PM warned that the country’s “economic and national security is on the line”. ( More

A youth mobility scheme with the EU is on the table – but under a different name, The Independent understands, as MPs attempt to secure government backing for the agreement. A list of recommendations produced by the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly – a delegation of members from the UK and EU parliaments aimed at strengthening relations with the bloc – has urged the government to establish a “youth opportunity scheme”. It is understood the scheme would operate similarly to proposals for a “youth mobility scheme”, which had become a major sticking point between the UK and EU. It would allow 18 to 35-year olds, including those doing apprenticeships, to move and work freely between countries for up to two years.Brexitanniversary More

Rishi Sunak has unveiled his resignation honours list, with former cabinet minister Michael Gove, ex-chief whip Simon Hart and former Scottish secretary Sir Alister Jack all receiving gongs from the former prime minister.It is a well-established tradition for outgoing prime ministers to hand peerages and other gongs to key allies after they leave office. Mr Sunak has already awarded honours to a number of close aides, including a peerage for his former chief of staff Liam Booth-Smith and a knighthood for deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden, which were handed out in a separate dissolution honours list to mark the end of the last parliament following the general election.But who features on today’s list, and why have they made the cut? Michael Gove Michael Gove has been handed a peerage in Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours. He held multiple cabinet posts over his political career, including education, environment, and housing secretary, but never held one of the UK’s three great offices of state. However, he was a highly influential figure in successive Conservative governments and built a reputation for being able to make or break leadership bids or campaigns. He ran for the party leadership himself in 2016, scuppering Boris Johnson’s bid and sparking a long-standing rift between the pair. Mr Gove went on to serve in Mr Johnson’s cabinet but was sacked in the final hours of his time in office after calling for the then PM to resign. He is also said to have betrayed David Cameron by taking a more prominent role in the 2016 Vote Leave campaign than he was ever expected to. Asked about Mr Gove’s ennoblement, a close ally of Mr Johnson’s told The Times he is a “more worthy recipient than many”, but dubbed him “one of the most treacherous people in politics”. ‘Worthy’ and ‘treacherous’ Michael Gove More

Sir Keir Starmer has been warned against sacrificing too much in an attempt to secure a trade deal with Donald Trump, as hopes of avoiding tariffs appear to be fading. It comes after an adviser to the US president said it would take an “extraordinary deal” for the UK to improve on the 10 per cent tariff Mr Trump has placed on the country.Meanwhile, UK ministers appear to be increasingly downbeat about the prospect of a US-UK deal, with health minister Stephen Kinnock admitting that it might take some time. It comes despite officials previously insisting that talks were at an “advanced stage”.US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Carl Court/PA) More

The government will table a bill to take control of British Steel as MPs are recalled from recess for an extraordinary Saturday sitting to debate the future of the beleaguered firm. Downing Street on Friday stopped short of saying it would nationalise the firm, but said its emergency bill will give ministers “the power to direct steel companies in England, which we will use to protect the Scunthorpe site”. It means MPs will be recalled on a Saturday during recess for the first time since the Falklands War began in 1982, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds attended talks with Jingye More

Veteran Conservative politician Michael Gove has received a peerage in Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list. Mr Gove, who stepped down as an MP at the last general election, features on the list alongside former chief whip Simon Hart and former Scotland secretary Alister Jack – both close allies of the former prime minister. Mark Harper, who served as transport secretary under Mr Sunak, former attorney general Victoria Prentis, ex-Conservative Party CEO Stephen Massey, and Eleanor Shawcross, former director of the No 10 policy unit, have also been handed peerages. Meanwhile, former Cabinet ministers Jeremy Hunt, James Cleverly, Grant Shapps and Mel Stride have been given knighthoods, as well as former England cricketer James Anderson.Michael Gove stepped down as an MP at the last general election More