Sir Keir Starmer has vowed his government will do “everything we can” to preserve jobs at the steelworks in Port Talbot.
The prime minister was visiting South Wales, the region where the site is based, to walk around Alltwalis wind farm with the new First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan.
The pair have been showcasing the government’s climate credentials in the region, which Sir Keir said would reap the benefits from GB Energy, the state-owned company the government has launched to help develop future offshore wind projects.
But the embrace of the green agenda has sparked concerns of job losses at Port Talbot, the country’s largest steelworks that is moving over to a greener form of steel production which requires fewer workers.
Asked about the redundancies, which could total 2,800, the prime minister said the government would do “everything we can” to help workers.
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Asked whether he risked giving “false hope” to workers in the town, he replied: “No. We’re working really hard on this, both the first minister and myself jointly on this, because it’s so important that we do everything we can to preserve those jobs.
“We were working on this when I was in opposition – we’ve turbocharged that since we’ve been in power.
“Of course it’s difficult, I think everybody understands that.
Sir Keir Starmer and Eluned Morgan during a visit to Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm, a clean energy site in Pencader.
Pic: PA
“We’ve been able to put some money down just in the last week or so, particularly with the supply chain side of it, but we will do everything we can to preserve those jobs.”
Last week the government announced £13.5m in support to help businesses affected by the Tata Steel redundancies.
The package is designed to support businesses that rely on Tata Steel as their main customer, while the money will also be used to help workers who have been made redundant by giving them access to training and qualifications in sectors where there are job vacancies.
Negotiations between the government and Tata Steel regarding the future of the Port Talbot plant – where the workforce currently accounts for 12% of the coastal town’s entire population – will continue separately.
Earlier this year, Tata confirmed it would press ahead with plans to close blast furnaces and replace them with electric arc furnaces under its plan to reduce emissions and costs.
It said the move will cut carbon emissions by about 85% and the UK’s overall CO2 output by about 1.5%. The Port Talbot site is the UK’s single largest emitter of CO2.
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Sir Keir’s visit to South Wales comes at the same time the government approved an increase in passengers from 6.5 million to 9 million at London City Airport – prompting criticism from environmental campaigners.
Labour has said there is “no conflict in terms of national policy” on air quality.
A government spokesperson said: “We are committed to securing the long-term future of the aviation sector in the UK while protecting our environmental obligations.
“In line with the recommendation of the independent inspectors, ministers have jointly approved a planning appeal submitted by London City Airport.”