'Let's buy British'

Unite delegate and steel worker Ian Williams seconded a motion on reindustrialising communities on the second day of Labour conference on Monday (September 28).

In a powerful contribution, Ian highlighted the crisis in his industry and how it has impacted his local community in South Wales.

“Year after year we have witnessed – and warned against – the consequences of a foundation industry being run into the ground by asset stripping owners and speculators,” he said.

“But it doesn’t have to be like this,” Ian added. “We got the funding for the government’s steel strategy. The nationalisation of British Steel – won by steel unions – was a hard-won landmark moment.”

Ian went on to say that the UK has the potential to be a “leading producer of green steel”.

“And procurement remains one of the strongest weapons this Labour government has to make it happen,” he said. “We shouldn’t be spending taxpayers’ money on foreign produced steel – especially when jobs in my industry are still under threat.”

Ian called for all projects benefiting from public money, whether directly or indirectly through loans, subsidies or tax breaks, to be obliged to use UK-made steel.

“In the US they can do this because steel is counted as critical national infrastructure or CNI,” he explained. “We need to do the same. We must also make sure that we are buying British in other CNI areas, like defence.

“Let’s buy British Typhoons, not American F35s,” Ian said to applause.

Ian went on to highlight how a mass council housebuilding programme can also be a vital “launchpad to reindustrialising our communities”.

“Public investment in building and retrofitting homes must also mean using UK made materials, including steel,” Ian continued. “We can’t afford to miss a trick when it comes to creating good jobs for the future and delivering economic growth.”

Ian called on the Labour government not to do this “by half measures”.

Concluding to yet more applause, Ian said, “Let’s rebuild. Let’s reindustrialise our communities. And let’s buy British!”

By Hajera Blagg

Photo by Mark Thomas