The EU strikes again.

[sinkov]

British Steel in admin, thousands of British jobs at risk, and what tipped them over the edge ? Well I waited last night for some explanation on BBC news of the reason, but I waited in vain, there were only vague mutterings about Brexit. Of the real reason the plug was pulled, the £120 million payment to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which the government has lent them, and they have no hope of repaying, mention was there none. But why could not the government not just give them the money, why indeed could the government not bail them out, why not indeed just nationalise them ? Ah, said the government spokesman, we have done what we can within the law. No one asked which law he was referring to, maybe because the answer would have been, it is EU law that prevents us helping out British Steel and saving those jobs. But they don't want you to know that, if we had left the EU as we should have, those jobs could be saved, but we haven't, so let's just hope there are plenty of food banks over Scunny way. It's quite ironic isn't it, Remainers tell you we need to stay in the EU to protect jobs, tell the British Steel workers that when they ask for government help, and EU law prevents them from lifting a finger.

Thank you EU, thank you M. Barnier, thank you M. Juncker, thank you very much.

[1959_60]

Morning Sinkov.

Funnily enough, I have just responded to Army on the milkshake thread.

Here it is...

Army, our Government could certainly help out here if it wished. It could nationalise some , or all of the company (like it did with RBS in the financial crisis). This is private company that is in trouble. Same as Jamie Oliver's eating houses or Bolton Wanderers.

If we left the EU there would be very similar rules about state intervention in place from the World Trade Organisation.

But yes, the Government COULD bale out the companies owners (Greybull) if it so wished.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48365241

[WBA123]

British Steel in admin, thousands of British jobs at risk, and what tipped them over the edge ? Well I waited last night for some explanation on BBC news of the reason, but I waited in vain, there were only vague mutterings about Brexit. Of the real reason the plug was pulled, the £120 million payment to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which the government has lent them, and they have no hope of repaying, mention was there none. But why could not the government not just give them the money, why indeed could the government not bail them out, why not indeed just nationalise them ? Ah, said the government spokesman, we have done what we can within the law. No one asked which law he was referring to, maybe because the answer would have been, it is EU law that prevents us helping out British Steel and saving those jobs. But they don't want you to know that, if we had left the EU as we should have, those jobs could be saved, but we haven't, so let's just hope there are plenty of food banks over Scunny way. It's quite ironic isn't it, Remainers tell you we need to stay in the EU to protect jobs, tell the British Steel workers that when they ask for government help, and EU law prevents them from lifting a finger.

Thank you EU, thank you M. Barnier, thank you M. Juncker, thank you very much.

I actually came on here to see what your thoughts were on Dawson, but now I'm here I might as well stick my oar in....

There are two main reasons British steel have gone under...
1. Falling orders on European orders and the weak pound increasing raw materials - all linked to Brexit uncertainty
2. Trump increasing tariffs on steel imports - just under 10% of their business was to USA before Trump got in

As the poster says below, the UK government could have intervened. They just didn't want to...

The fact that northerners are voting for Brexit, therefore giving more power to the same UK government that has deprived northern towns and cities for decades is baffling....but each to their own.

I fear for the town now... Because the Conservatives don't give two sh1ts about anywhere outside of the South East.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I actually came on here to see what your thoughts were on Dawson, but now I'm here I might as well stick my oar in....

There are two main reasons British steel have gone under...
1. Falling orders on European orders and the weak pound increasing raw materials - all linked to Brexit uncertainty
2. Trump increasing tariffs on steel imports - just under 10% of their business was to USA before Trump got in

As the poster says below, the UK government could have intervened. They just didn't want to...

The fact that northerners are voting for Brexit, therefore giving more power to the same UK government that has deprived northern towns and cities for decades is baffling....but each to their own.

I fear for the town now... Because the Conservatives don't give two sh1ts about anywhere outside of the South East.

Pretty much agree with you Baggy, regarding Dawson keep him!

[sinkov]

There are two main reasons British steel have gone under...
1. Falling orders on European orders and the weak pound increasing raw materials - all linked to Brexit uncertainty
2. Trump increasing tariffs on steel imports - just under 10% of their business was to USA before Trump got in

The weak pound is an excuse, it may well increase the cost of importing raw materials but at the same time it lowers the price of our steel on the world markets, swings and roundabouts. But of course our steel industry, even with lower export prices, can't compete with the Chinese dumping their steel on the world market, which has caused a 20% drop in prices in the last three years.

And why can't we compete with the Chinese, or most anyone else for that matter, on price ? Go back ten years or more, it was all predicted then, as our lunatic Climate Change Act was introduced, the eco-loons told us we had to save the planet, coal and gas was to be phased out, energy prices quite deliberately ramped up, renewable energy was subsidised, pensioners had to be given an allowance so that they could afford to heat their homes in winter, and our energy dependent heavy industry made uncompetitive and devastated. Oh, and don't mention that other source of cheap energy, those huge reservoirs of gas we're sitting on, fracking is strictly verboten !! So we close down our coal-fired power stations, while in China they continue to build them in their hundreds, and their industry has a continuous supply of cheap energy.

So the poor bloody steel workers, assailed by eco-loons on side and EU fair competition rules on the other, lose their jobs, unlucky chaps, but someone has to save the planet.

[WBA123]

The weak pound is an excuse, it may well increase the cost of importing raw materials but at the same time it lowers the price of our steel on the world markets, swings and roundabouts. But of course our steel industry, even with lower export prices, can't compete with the Chinese dumping their steel on the world market, which has caused a 20% drop in prices in the last three years.

And why can't we compete with the Chinese, or most anyone else for that matter, on price ? Go back ten years or more, it was all predicted then, as our lunatic Climate Change Act was introduced, the eco-loons told us we had to save the planet, coal and gas was to be phased out, energy prices quite deliberately ramped up, renewable energy was subsidised, pensioners had to be given an allowance so that they could afford to heat their homes in winter, and our energy dependent heavy industry made uncompetitive and devastated. Oh, and don't mention that other source of cheap energy, those huge reservoirs of gas we're sitting on, fracking is strictly verboten !! So we close down our coal-fired power stations, while in China they continue to build them in their hundreds, and their industry has a continuous supply of cheap energy.

So the poor bloody steel workers, assailed by eco-loons on side and EU fair competition rules on the other, lose their jobs, unlucky chaps, but someone has to save the planet.

The weak pound absolutely is a factor in why they went bust. In fact, British Steel themselves cited Brexit as a contributory factor as to why they went under.

Another interesting fact is that the EU wanted to put tariffs on cheap Chinese imports, as they wanted to protect the EU members steel industry - the UK vetoed it.

We all have and are entitled to our own opinions. Mine is that I can't see one single benefit of Brexit - apart from to the rich, who will get even richer. Ironically that is people like Farage and Rees-Mogg.

Whereas the ordinary working man on the street, such as those in S****horpe will bear the brunt.

[1959_60]

The weak pound absolutely is a factor in why they went bust. In fact, British Steel themselves cited Brexit as a contributory factor as to why they went under.

Another interesting fact is that the EU wanted to put tariffs on cheap Chinese imports, as they wanted to protect the EU members steel industry - the UK vetoed it.

We all have and are entitled to our own opinions. Mine is that I can't see one single benefit of Brexit - apart from to the rich, who will get even richer. Ironically that is people like Farage and Rees-Mogg.

Whereas the ordinary working man on the street, such as those in S****horpe will bear the brunt.

Well said WBA!

You can be my mate.

[sinkov]

The weak pound absolutely is a factor in why they went bust. In fact, British Steel themselves cited Brexit as a contributory factor as to why they went under.

Another interesting fact is that the EU wanted to put tariffs on cheap Chinese imports, as they wanted to protect the EU members steel industry - the UK vetoed it.

We all have and are entitled to our own opinions. Mine is that I can't see one single benefit of Brexit - apart from to the rich, who will get even richer. Ironically that is people like Farage and Rees-Mogg.

Whereas the ordinary working man on the street, such as those in S****horpe will bear the brunt.

This is a company that was on the market for a quid three years ago, it was a basket case long before Brexit was ever dreamed of, crippled by the eco-loons energy policy. If ten of us had chipped in 10p each we could have had the Clarets Mad Steel Corporation, and you really think Brexit is to blame, even our combined genius couldn't have saved a steel company worth a quid in a market where the price has risen 20% in three years. Brexit my arse.

And of course you're entitled to your opinion, but like 59, you're a bit late with it, your views on the EU, and mine as well for that matter, are now irrelevant. We had a referendum three years ago, and voted to Leave. The decision has been made, we're just waiting for the government and our politicians to carry out their promise. But unfortunately, our politicians, especially the LibDems, and the EU, don't care much for democracy and our democratic decision, and are doing everything in their power to thwart it. They will pay a price.

[WBA123]

This is a company that was on the market for a quid three years ago, it was a basket case long before Brexit was ever dreamed of, crippled by the eco-loons energy policy. If ten of us had chipped in 10p each we could have had the Clarets Mad Steel Corporation, and you really think Brexit is to blame, even our combined genius couldn't have saved a steel company worth a quid in a market where the price has risen 20% in three years. Brexit my arse.

And of course you're entitled to your opinion, but like 59, you're a bit late with them, your views on the EU, and mine as well for that matter, are now irrelevant. We had a referendum three years ago, and voted to Leave. The decision has been made, we're just waiting for the government and our politicians to carry out their promise. But unfortunately, our politicians, especially the LibDems, and the EU, don't care much for democracy and our democratic decision, and are doing everything in their power to thwart it. They will pay a price.

This is a company that employs directly and indirectly 25000 people. Every effort should have been made to keep it afloat. They needed protection from Chinese imports, which the UK didn't provide. They needed a bailout of £30m, the government couldn't find it. The same government who have spent £4bn on No Deal Brexit planning and bunged the DUP £1bn.

We are giving this Govt even more power by leaving the EU.

Our views on the EU are absolutely not irrelevant. Look at the demographics of the vote, we will be back in the EU at some point in the future, but probably on worse terms. Democracy is a process, do you think Farage would have accepted the vote had it been 52-48 the other way? Democracies can change their mind, that is the point of a democracy, without that it is a dictatorship.

The Lib Dems appeal for votes as a pro-remain party, that engages rather than thwarts democracy. I have no clue how anyone can come to your conclusion.

In any case, the democratic decision was to leave the EU, with a deal. That was what was promised to us before and in the aftermath of the referendum. 'No Deal' was the Leave campaign shifting the goalposts after the referendum. Remainers always knew that leaving the EU with a deal would make us no better off and that's been proven. A No Deal Brexit was voted for by no-one.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

British Steel in admin, thousands of British jobs at risk, and what tipped them over the edge ? Well I waited last night for some explanation on BBC news of the reason, but I waited in vain, there were only vague mutterings about Brexit. Of the real reason the plug was pulled, the £120 million payment to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which the government has lent them, and they have no hope of repaying, mention was there none. But why could not the government not just give them the money, why indeed could the government not bail them out, why not indeed just nationalise them ? Ah, said the government spokesman, we have done what we can within the law. No one asked which law he was referring to, maybe because the answer would have been, it is EU law that prevents us helping out British Steel and saving those jobs. But they don't want you to know that, if we had left the EU as we should have, those jobs could be saved, but we haven't, so let's just hope there are plenty of food banks over Scunny way. It's quite ironic isn't it, Remainers tell you we need to stay in the EU to protect jobs, tell the British Steel workers that when they ask for government help, and EU law prevents them from lifting a finger.

Thank you EU, thank you M. Barnier, thank you M. Juncker, thank you very much.

You pretty much beat me to the drop with this one sinkov. Frankly I cannot see any other way to see this. If we had left on the 29th March, British Steel could have had a cash injection, regrouped, talked some sense into Trump and got on with the job. Why can't the EU shore it up for a while? Answers on a postcard please?