LIBERTY Steel Leads Strategic Roundtable at Labour Party Conference on UK Steel’s Future
LIBERTY Steel hosted a well-attended private roundtable at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, led by Chief Transformation Officer Jeffrey Kabel and co-hosted by Dr Marie Tidball MP (Penistone and Stocksbridge) and Chris McDonald MP (Stockton North).
The event brought together politicians, businesses, business bodies and trade unions with an interest in the aerospace, defence and energy industries, all strategic sectors that LIBERTY supplies with high-value specialist steels.
Attendees included Jonathan Brash MP (Hartlepool), Antonia Bance MP (Wednesbury and Tiverton), Josh MacAlister MP (Whitehaven and Workington), Lord Iain McNicol and colleagues from Community Union, GMB, CBI, Hydrogen UK, RenewableUK, Carbon Capture and Storage Association, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Equinor, Cadent Gas Limited, bp, Harbour Energy, Hitachi Energy, Cummins and EnBW Generation UK.
Jeffrey Kabel, LIBERTY Steel’s Chief Transformation Officer:
“This event generated stimulating discussion on how to deliver competitiveness, resilience and growth as UK industry decarbonises. It was excellent to exchange views on the policy decisions the new Labour government will make that will impact the UK steel industry and its domestic and international value chains.”
Marie Tidball MP:
“Steel has been at the beating heart of our communities for over 180 years, and I’ve promised to help secure a brighter future for our UK steel industry. Bringing together business and trade unions is one of the best ways we can achieve that. It was really beneficial to represent Stocksbridge Speciality Steel workers, and finally have a supportive Government that will protect our steel industry and grab the opportunities this brings with both hands for Stocksbridge and our wider communities.”
Chris McDonald MP:
“The Labour Government set out commitments to develop an Industrial Strategy and to significant co-investment that would support the transformation of the steel industry in the UK. This LIBERTY Steel event was a great opportunity to hear from energy, defence and aerospace businesses and from trade unions about the steps the government now need to take to realise these commitments and to secure a sustainable future for the industry, for steel communities and for the skilled steel workforce.”
Roy Rickhuss, Community General Secretary:
“It was a pleasure to discuss the issues affecting the steel sector in South Yorkshire and across the UK. LIBERTY Steel UK is a strategic asset to the UK steel sector.”