David Cameron will come under pressure today to prevent further steel plant closures as MPs claim that taxpayers face clean-up costs of billions of pounds.
Insolvency experts warned last night of “significant distress” across the industry as Tata Steel confirmed that it will lay off 1,200 workers in Lincolnshire and Scotland.
Unions said that the industry was gripped by fear. Companies blame a flood of subsidised Chinese steel for worsening a crisis that coincides with the state visit of Xi Jinping, the president of China. Mr Cameron is braced for a Commons clash over the issue at prime minister’s questions today.
Sajid Javid, the business secretary, said he would not “stand by”, and suggested major steel-hungry infrastructure projects such as HS2 could help. He stressed