In a development that has sent shivers down the collective spine of the steel town of Port Talbot, Tata Steel’s £1.25 billion electric arc furnace has been delayed. That’s right, the great green hope of British steelmaking, the furnace that was supposed to usher in a new era of sustainable production, has hit a snag. The government, sensing another public relations iron in the fire, is now demanding accountability. But let us pause and examine the sheer, glorious absurdity of this situation.
Tata Steel, the Indian conglomerate that bought the venerable British steel industry for a song and has been playing it ever since like a broken hurdy-gurdy, has announced that the furnace will not be ready on time. The reasons, as always, are opaque and wrapped in the language of corporate obfuscation. Perhaps they encountered a bit of traffic on the way to the future. Or maybe the magic beans they planted didn't grow fast enough.
The UK government, ever the vigilant parent, has responded with a sternly worded letter and a demand for accountability. Because nothing says accountability like a press release. The Business Secretary, a man whose name I forget because he'll be replaced in six months, declared that the government would be 'working closely with Tata to ensure that this vital investment is delivered.' Translation: We'll have a meeting, drink tea, and issue a joint statement about the importance of steel to the British economy.
But let’s not forget the jobs. Oh, the jobs. Every time a factory closes or a furnace cools, politicians weep for the jobs. They adore jobs, particularly when they are in marginal constituencies. The unions, those bastions of collective bargaining, are sharpening their placards and polishing their chants. They will demand guarantees, commitments, and perhaps a small sacrifice of a government minister to the gods of heavy industry.
Meanwhile, the workers of Port Talbot, who have been on a slow burn since the last blast furnace was mothballed, are left to ponder their futures. Some will retrain for the green jobs of tomorrow, which mostly seem to involve installing heat pumps in draughty Victorian terraces. Others will take redundancy and open a pub. The resourceful ones will become meme lords on Twitter, chronicling the slow death of British manufacturing in a series of increasingly desperate hashtags.
This delay is a perfect metaphor for Britain’s industrial policy. We proclaim grand ambitions of a green revolution, but we can’t even get a furnace built on time. We talk of sovereignty and resilience, but we rely on foreign capital and imported expertise. We demand accountability, but only from the little people. The big guys get a slap on the wrist and a reminder to try harder next time.
What will come of this? Probably another review, another task force, another round of earnest consultations. Tata will eventually get its furnace built, perhaps a bit late, perhaps over budget. The government will take credit for ‘saving’ the steel industry. The unions will declare a victory for the working class. And the ghost of industrial Britain will haunt the halls of Whitehall, whispering of a time when we actually made things.
Until then, raise a glass of warm gin to the workers of Port Talbot. They deserve a drink. They’ve been waiting long enough.
