London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens announces 13m grand scheme for Port Talbot workers and businesses hit by Port Talbot Blast Furnace Closures.
The UK government launches a new fund scheme to support steelworkers after job losses. This scheme will provide non-repayable grants of £10,000 to affected families.
Two new support schemes are ready to launch, aimed at businesses in the Port Talbot region and those within the Tata supply chain. Non-repayable grants ranging from £2,500 to £250,00 will be on offer according to the press release issued by the UK’s government.
During Labour’s Welsh conference in Llandudno, Jo Stevens will highlight that the government is investing £80 million to help 2,800 Tata steelworkers and businesses in the local region.
At the conference, she will declare that Wales now holds a “powerful voice at the cabinet table once again” after being overlooked by the former government.
Sir Keir Starmer, UK’s prime minister will also speak at the conference on Saturday, his first speech as PM, after Labour’s victory in July, securing 27 out of 32 seats in Wales and eliminating the Tory MPs from the country.
Labour’s dominance in Wales faces a challenge as reform, with Nigel Farage’s recent visit after Donald Trump’s win in the US, targets the nation. Many polls indicate that his party could perform well in the next Senedd election Labour is wary of the threat.
Starmer in his speech will also argue that “change must be nothing less than national renewal” but must be felt “in the bones of a nation”.
He will say, “Change can’t be a few extra lines on a graph moving in the right direction. Change can’t be a good Labour policy or two delivered while the broader settlement remains untouched. Change must be nothing less than national renewal”.
The Prime Minister will also announce that the £160 million investment zone in Wrexham and Flintshire will move forward next year.
Je Stevens at the conference will also acknowledge rhetoric around “industry and economic growth can sometimes sound remote from day to day life”. But she will argue that the future of Wales’s economy depends on more jobs, investment across all communities, and providing increased opportunities for the younger generation.
She will accuse Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader and former business secretary, of pledging an £80 million transition grant but failing to provide the necessary funding.
Further, she will say “Kemi Badenoch sold a lie to steel communities and told them to consider it a win. Well, conference, I’m not buying it. I made it my mission to fight tooth and nail for that money. And Labour’s first budget confirmed that £80m in full. Because Wales has a powerful voice at the cabinet table once again” adding “To the cafe owner in the town centre who is worried about footfall. To the steelworker with a dream of being their own boss. To the business looking to grow or change. This fund is for you. This is change in action”.
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens after chairing her third meeting as chair of the Transition on 14 November, stated, “As a government we are determined the Transition Board delivers for the steelworkers of Port Talbot, for the region’s businesses and for the community. This remains a really difficult time for workers in Port Talbot and their families. Many of them will have aspirations to set up their own businesses or become self employed and the £13m released today will provide vital backing for them to make their plans a reality”.
She added, “We said we would back workers and businesses affected by the transition at Port Talbot and we are doing so with more than £26m announced since July”.
Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans said, “We continue to work with the UK Government and local partners to ensure that our targeted support has the broadest and deepest positive impact on those affected by the transition to an electric arc furnace in Port Talbot”.
She continued, “Speaking to many across the local community, I know what a difference extending available funding to immediate family will make. This is part of our commitment to doing everything within our power to support businesses, households and communities to bounce back and ensure that Port Talbot and the surrounding area continues its proud history as a vital cog in the Welsh economy”.
Cllr Steve Hunt, Neath Port Talbot Council Leader stated, “I keenly welcome the announcement of these funding packages to support both start-ups and existing businesses across our community. The steelworks have been a lynchpin for our economy for over a century and so changes on this scale impact not only directly-affected workers at Tata Steel, but many other closely connected companies”.
He added, “Steel will remain very important to Port Talbot moving forwards, but it is also critical that as a Transition Board we enable enterprise across a range of sectors to respond to current circumstances and to opportunities such as the Celtic Freeport”.
Labour insiders believe the new grant will provide immediate support for businesses and workers showcasing Labour’s ongoing growth and clean energy initiatives. This move also lays the groundwork for future floating offshore wind development.