Rod Liddle Rod Liddle

John McDonnell doesn’t give a fig about Teesside’s steel industry

John McDonnell has accused me of telling an untruth. Yes, I know, worse things have happened. But still. His accusation refers to the closure of the Redcar SSI steel plant.
Mr McDonnell claimed that a visit to the area, where he met with tearful workers, prompted him to do a u-turn on supporting the Conservative plan to balance to budget. I said on Question Time last week and again in The Sunday Times this Sunday that this was utter cant. A charge I will cheerfully repeat now. It is utter cant, McDonnell. The shadow chancellor made his commitment to abide by Osborne’s budget surplus proposal at the Labour conference on 28 September – it had been reported in advance by most papers. That was fully ten days after SSI had announced it was ceasing steel production at the plant. And eleven days after local Labour MPs had raised the issue in the House of Commons, insisting that the government ‘did not give a fig’ for steel-making on Teesside. No, indeed. And nor did John McDonnell. Clear, John?

Incidentally – and I know most of you won’t agree – I would have nationalised the plant. £100m. Wait to see how much we spend clearing up after it.

 
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