Wales will not forget

Plaid Cymru has criticised Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves for “standing idly by while Welsh workers were thrown on the scrapheap”

In her conference speech, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she was “not willing to tolerate a situation where Britain’s steel capacity was fundamentally undermined” and that Labour “chose to intervene, to save British Steel.”

Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, compared the government’s response in Scunthorpe with its lack of action in Port Talbot. The First Minister, Eluned Morgan, mocked Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth in January 2025 for proposing the nationalisation of the Port Talbot steelworks, describing his proposals as “pipe dreams”. In April 2025, the UK Government recalled Parliament on a Saturday to take control of British Steel’s operations in Scunthorpe.

Responding to Rachel Reeves’ conference speech, Plaid Cymru Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts MP said:

“Today we heard strong words from Rachel Reeves about the UK Government’s decision to take the Scunthorpe steelworks into public hands.

“But where was this passion for Port Talbot? Labour stood idly by while Welsh workers were thrown on the scrapheap. They even mocked Plaid Cymru’s proposals to nationalise the plant – proposals aimed at saving livelihoods and protecting the strategic importance of virgin steel production.

“Wales will never forget how Labour turned their backs on us.”