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Steel chief appeals for council unity - VIDEO
THE chief executive of Sheffield Forgemasters has pleaded with council politicians to stop treating his company as a "political football".
Graham Honeyman's plea was read out during a raucous Sheffield Council debate about the Government's decision to scrap an 80 million loan for his firm to build a 15,000 tonne press for the nuclear industry.
He wrote to Lib Dem council leader Paul Scriven after Business Secretary Vince Cable said the decision to scrap the loan might be reviewed in the future.
Dr Honeyman said the announcement provided a "glimmer of hope" and asked councillors to give the firm space to consider its options.
Coun Scriven read out the letter during an emergency town hall debate - softening an attack from Labour councillors who warned the cut heralded the return of the "dark clouds of Thatcherism". Dr Honeyman's letter said the firm was "non-political" and did not want to "influence the actions of council members"
But he asked councillors to unite "across political boundaries" and welcome the chance of a review.
He said: "For our part that gives us more time privately to review where we go from here and that a collective council position prevents the possibility of us being used as a political football within the city."
Dr Honeyman added: "We are grateful for the huge support we have had and continue to have across Sheffield, including from Labour members."
Coun Scriven accused Labour of "playing party politics" by continuing to campaign for the loan to be reinstated.
Labour's Coun Harry Harpham said: "The people of Sheffield are shouting in their thousands for the Government to give this loan.
"If the Lib Dems are not prepared to stand up for Sheffield they should stand aside. If they are not prepared to do that next May the people of Sheffield will push them aside."
Labour councillor and former steelworker Tony Damms said: "We are proud of our steel heritage. Given the tools and the chance we can make anything with steel. We need this loan."
Labour MPs have gathered around 10,000 signatures on a petition for the loan to be reinstated.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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