UK Steel in Crisis: Liberty Speciality Steels Liquidation & Government's Path Forward

This episode details the High Court's compulsory winding-up order against Liberty Speciality Steels, leading to its liquidation. The UK government affirms its support for affected workers and communities, with the Official Receiver now managing operations to stabilise the business. We explore why the government didn't intervene sooner, contrasting it with British Steel's situation. The discussion also covers the government's broader strategy to support the steel industry, including efforts to reduce energy costs, reform procurement, address US tariffs, and foster private investment for a sustainable future for UK steel.

Key Takeaways

• The High Court issued a compulsory winding-up order against Liberty Speciality Steels on August 21st, leading to its liquidation.
• The government is standing with affected steelworkers in Rotherham, Sheffield, and Wednesbury, offering rapid response teams and support.
• The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator to stabilise operations, process employee payroll, and secure company sites, with no immediate changes to jobs.
• Government did not intervene earlier due to the company's severe financial difficulties, lack of transparency, and the director being under Serious Fraud Office investigation.
• The situation is distinct from British Steel in Scunthorpe, where the government intervened to protect the UK’s last remaining blast furnaces, which are critical and cannot be easily restarted.
• Measures to support the steel industry include increasing network charge discounts (supercharger) from 60% to 90% to reduce electricity costs, changing government procurement rules to prioritise UK-made steel, and strengthening safeguard measures.
• Negotiations are ongoing with the US to address 25% tariffs on UK steel and steel derivative products.

Source: Speciality Steel UK: Insolvency
Volume 772: debated on Tuesday 2 September 2025

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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0....