Liberty Steel: 'Government should run company itself if no buyers', says union boss in bid for nationalisation
A union chief has called on the Government to nationalise Liberty Steel’s operations and run the firm themselves if a buyer cannot be found.
A High Court ruling yesterday ordered the steel firm’s South Yorkshire operations, Speciality Steel UK, into compulsory liquidation and under Government control.
Liberty Steel employs over 1,400 people and operates both in Stocksbridge and in Rotherham.
It means ongoing wages and costs to keep the plant running will be covered by the Government until a buyer is found.
Now, general secretary of UK union Unite, Sharon Graham, has called on the Government to “be prepared” for if they cannot find a buyer by taking over the firm for good.
Ms Graham said: “The government must provide long-term guarantees that it will protect jobs but also the company itself which forms part of the UK’s critical infrastructure.
“The products that Liberty Steel produces are crucial for the success of the UK economy. If the right buyer cannot be found then the government should be prepared to run the company itself and ensure it is ready to meet the challenges of the future.”
It comes after the Government took operation control of Chinese-owned British Steel under emergency powers in April 2025.
Unite is only the latest of UK unions to call for Downing Street to protect jobs following the High Court ruling.
Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, GMB National Officer, said: “This is another tragedy for UK steel - and the people of South Yorkshire - this time brought on by years of chronic mismanagement by the owners.
“But this represents an opportunity for the Government to take decisive action, as it did with British steel, to protect this vital UK industry.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The government must provide long-term guarantees that it will protect jobs but also the company itself which forms part of the UK’s critical infrastructure.
“The products that Liberty Steel produces are crucial for the success of the UK economy. If the right buyer cannot be found then the government should be prepared to run the company itself and ensure it is ready to meet the challenges of the future.”
South Yorkshire's Mayor Oliver Coppard has said the Government taking control of the UK's third-largest steelworks is "good news" but that a conclusion should not be rushed.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The Government stepping in to take control now is good news because it just brings to an end the uncertainty that we've seen on the sites.
"I think that was the thing that was killing the business slowly, we now have that uncertainty brought to an end, that's a good thing.
"But I now need the Government to make sure that these three sites, two in Rotherham and one here, have the brightest possible future.
"So, we have to get a new owner in, the Government, I think, should take their time over that process, not a neverending amount of time, but certainly not rush to a conclusion, to give people on the site that future that they deserve."
Councillor Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council, said: “The news that the courts have placed Liberty Steel into compulsory insolvency will understandably cause concern for the hundreds of Rotherham residents still employed at the site.
“I’m glad that the government has committed to meeting the running costs and wages at the plant at least on an interim basis - responding to the representations made by myself, Oliver Coppard, Sheffield Council and our local MPs earlier this year. This gives breathing space for new owners to come forward and new plans to be put in place.
“It’s been a rollercoaster few years, from the initial hopes we had when Mr Gupta originally took ownership, to the troubled recent period.
“We understand that there is serious interest in taking on the business in one form or another, and will be working hard to do all we can to secure a bright future, and the support our local steelworkers deserve.”