My Statement on the two week Adjournment of Court Case against Speciality Steel UK

As the Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge, I have been fighting for our speciality steel site since day one.

I am in regular touch with steelworkers locally, and I know the two week adjournment will cause anxiety for them and their families. However, evidence shared in court that government is preparing to step in immediately to secure the continued operations at Speciality Steel UK is extremely reassuring.

Both LIBERTY sites in Stocksbridge and Rotherham are essential parts of our South Yorkshire Steel Corridor and their success is crucial to our national defence, aerospace, and energy industries.

I do not believe that these sites can reach their potential under Sanjeev Gupta’s continued ownership, and any outcome of the case should prioritise the long-term future of the plants, and protecting jobs to retain the fantastically skilled workforce at these sites.

My immediate priority now will be securing pensions for Stocksbridge steelworkers, as local workers have faced nearly a year without employer pension contributions. I have raised this with the Department of Business and Trade, Aviva, and the Pensions Regulator. I will continue to press for them to take action, as well as LIBERTY, to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.”