UK Government is accused of double standards over steel deal

Port Talbot is in a better position thanks to the Labour government.

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The closure of the Port Talbot blast furnaces was controversial, with Plaid politicians calling for nationalisation of the steelworks.

Speaking during Saturday's debate, Ms Saville Roberts said Eluned Morgan, the Labour First Minister, had dismissed her party's calls for nationalisation of Welsh steel as "pipe dreams".

She said: "Today's legislation to safeguard the UK's last bastion of primary steelmaking capacity is of course to be supported. But what my party cannot support is this government's approach to steel in the UK which deems steel in Scunthorpe is worth saving, but not steel in Wales.

"Today is a bitter day for the people of Port Talbot, where the blast furnaces have been extinguished, because Labour let that happen.

"These job losses will take an estimated £200m from the local economy in lost wages.

"People in South Wales have been loyally voting for Labour for decades.

"Does this Labour government therefore feel proud that those votes have been paid back by Tory-style deindustrialisation in Port Talbot?

"Plaid Cymru has consistently called for nationalisation, but the Labour First Minister of Wales rejected our calls. She described nationalisation as 'pipe dreams!

"Labour in Wales were quick to mock our proposal - which we made 21 times on record in Cardiff and here. Now it's UK Labour policy for Scunthorpe.

"This government must therefore set out how much of the £2.5bn steel fund will be allocated towards securing Scunthorpe, and how does this compare to the amount given to support laid-off workers in Wales?

"Under this government, Scunthorpe gets security, whilst Port Talbot gets a pittance."

She added: "We will not let Labour hide from the fact that they own the decision not to intervene to save Welsh steel when they had the opportunity to do so.

"Workers and communities must be at the centre of any long-term solution for the steel industry.