(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Milano, 11 mag - UK prime minister Keir Starmer announced plans to nationalize British Steel, saying that the government would introduce legislation this week to bring the steel company back in government hands for the first time after it was sold off in 1988, subject to a public interest test being met.

The announcement comes after the government seized control of British Steel's Scunthorpe steelworks from its Chinese owners Jingye in April 2025 in order to halt the potential closure of its blast furnances. Starmer said the government had held talks with Jinqye, but that a "commercial sale has not been possible, and now a public test could be met".

"Steel is strategically important to our economy and our national resilience. That's why we acted last year to avoid a sudden halt to production at Scunthorpe, protecting workers and the community that depend on the site, and why we're now bringing forward legislation to give us options to protect.

Britain's steelmaking capability," Starmer said.

(RADIOCOR) 11-05-26 12:39:56 (0294) 5 NNNN