Industrial Decline

2 articles

Apr 15, 2026 • via the Guardian

UK hands largest electric arc furnace to Norwegian startup without steel experience

Rotherham and Stocksbridge sites enter five-week exclusive talks after Gupta insolvency

Official receiver prefers Blastr, a novice Norwegian firm, for SSUK assets amid repeated state bailouts. This foreign sale exposes chronic failure to sustain domestic steel control.

Oct 8, 2025 • via The Guardian

The Steel Trap: How Brexit Britain Became Europe's Industrial Afterthought

Why the EU's 50% Steel Tariffs Spell Disaster for UK Industry

Importing twice the steel it produces, relying on EU buyers for 78% of exports, and having no negotiated protections, Britain faces an 'existential threat' to its steel industry after the EU imposed 50% tariffs. This article explores the institutional failures and economic realities behind this crisis.