Scunthorpe responded to the decision to nationalize British Steel

Many in this Lincolnshire town welcome what they consider a lifeline.

Phil. “But those jobs have provided a good living for many, many people in the area for many, many years.”

Last year in The British government took over British Steel works in Scunthorpe, although it is still owned by the Chinese Jinji group.

Nationalism gives the government the power and freedom to decide the future of the plant, while the blast furnace continues.

Phil is happy with the decision but is reserved.

He says he doesn’t know how it can remain profitable compared to cheap foreign steel.

“The industry is nothing. Those days are gone. In the early 1970s, 22,000 people were employed in the industry. Now there are less than 3,000, although many others rely on the supply chain, shops and so on.”