British Steel: more questions than answers on the future | Nils Pratley
“One of the proudest things we have done in government,” said Keir Starmer in Monday’s big speech about the decision a year ago to recall parliament in order to take control of British Steel at Scunthorpe.It was an odd boast because last year’s action was merely an emergency exercise in saving the patient, as opposed to getting British Steel on its feet and out of the hospital.Taking control meant the Chinese owner, Jingye, could not turn off the two blast furnaces but meant the government was on the hook for operational losses, which will be £615m and counting by next month according to the National Audit Office (NAO).Full nationalisation is now on the cards, which will end the limbo-land state of ownership and give some comfort for 4,000 workers.But it is also the point at which the government will have to choose between its barely described “potential future options” for British Steel.
What’s the actual plan here? How much is it going to cost? And, by the end, will much be left from the £2.5bn promised in the election manifesto for the revitalisation of UK steelmaking?Half an answer to the first question might appear later this week if ministers confirm that nationalisation is not an end in itself but a way to enable a sale, or partial sale, to a better owner than Jingye.The list of credible suitors won’t be long but at least Sev.en Global Investments, the Czech group which owns a modernised steelworks in Cardiff, is trying to create a buzz.But the terms of any post-nationalisation sale will be crucial.
The big idea, presumably, is for the Scunthorpe site to convert over time to using an electric arc furnace, the lower carbon alternative to blast furnaces.But, since the technology takes about three years to build, one obvious question is whether the old-style furnaces will be kept running in the meantime.One assumes they will be because, if not, there would be a big hole in the UK’s freshly minted “steel strategy” and a major bust-up with the unions.Yet the price tag may be steep.Any new owner will surely want a subsidy to cover some or all of the transition losses, and a second subsidy will probably be expected to build the electric arc furnace itself.
The going rate, as it were, for the latter was set at Port Talbot under the last government when Tata Steel (which closed its blast furnace) was given a £500m support package for an overall £1,25bn investment to fund conversion,The price tag probably hasn’t fallen in the interim,Add it all up and we’re talking serious money, even before any bung to Jingye to go away quietly,The good news for producers is that the separate steel strategy, when it finally arrived in March, threw a protective cloak across the UK sector in the form of tariffs to deter cheap Chinese and Vietnamese imports.
It is possible to see how the government’s initial aim to return UK production to 40%-50% of domestic steel demand, compared with 30% in 2024, could be met.Greater volumes should improve the economics at sites such as Scunthorpe.On the other hand, tariffs are not a cure-all (and, obviously, are not universally acclaimed by UK buyers of steel).The industry’s other complaint about sky-high electricity costs has not gone away.Even with subsidy schemes such as the “supercharger”, energy costs are still higher than in continental Europe.
The government’s plans on that front are vague at best,That is the context for the next round of action at British Steel,It has taken slightly more than a year to get from initial temporary rescue to the introduction of powers to enable nationalisation in the public interest,The hard decisions, and hard numbers, only start to come into view now,The same NAO report in March warned that, if current operating conditions continue, the taxpayer bill at Scunthorpe could exceed £1.
5bn by 2028.If the government can find a way to take chunks out of that projection, while protecting jobs and steel-making capacity, Starmer would have something substantial to boast about.The job has barely started.
How to make arancini – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass
Before I wrote this recipe, it hadn’t occurred to me that the word “arancini” means “little oranges”, and, plump, round and golden as they are, it makes sense, too. Indeed, these robust rice balls, which are said to have come to Sicily with Arab invaders in the 10th century, are now, according to the late Antonio Carluccio, the local equivalent of a sandwich lunch.Prep 25 min Cook 45 min Makes 8 large ballsFor the risotto700ml chicken stock, or vegetable stock100ml white wine (optional)250g short-grain rice (eg, arborio)½ tsp salt, plus extra to season1 very generous pinch saffron (optional)50g parmesan, or grano padano or vegetarian alternative, gratedBlack pepperFor the arancini2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk100g mozzarella, drained and cut into chunksOptional other fillings of your choice – meat ragu, pesto, sauteed mushrooms, wilted or defrosted greens170g plain flour 250g fine dried breadcrumbs (preferably not panko)Neutral oil, for fryingFlaky sea salt, to finish (optional)Risotto is a northern Italian dish, so Sicilian arancini weren’t designed with it in mind, but they are great vehicles for risotto leftovers. My recipe is intended for 700g cooked rice, but adjust the fillings and coating according to what you have; these are also a great way to repurpose small amounts of ragu, cooked vegetables, fish or meat.If you’re cooking the rice from scratch, put the stock and wine (or substitute 100ml extra stock, if you prefer) in a medium pan and bring to a boil – I like chicken stock, because I find it the most neutrally savoury, but use whatever suits the fillings you’re using
Navel gazing: oranges, mandarins and persimmons top Australia’s best-value fruit and veg for May
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Australian supermarket sauerkraut taste test: one is ‘like eating the smell of McDonald’s pickle’
It’s ‘Gut Coachella’ for Nicholas Jordan and friends, who blind taste a line-up of 20 shredded and fermented cabbage productsIf you value our independent journalism, we hope you’ll consider supporting us todayGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailI cannot tell you how many times I’ve been introduced to a fatty, salty hunk of meat and thought, “my god, I’m going to need a pickle”. I feel the same eating cheese toasties or deli sandwiches with rich mayo-based sauces. Where is the pickle, hot sauce, citrus or ferment? Even the most savoury, juicy slab of umami is a bit much without acidity to balance it.What is the point of sauerkraut without acidity? It’s just wet, salty cabbage, and what is that for, other than deflating my spirits and inflating my gastrointestinal system? Sauerkraut should be sour; it’s the hallmark of the very thing that created it – fermentation.Why am I saying all this? After eight friends and I tasted 21 supermarket sauerkrauts, I was shocked to find some lacked not just acidity but any vigour at all
Spring soup and bean and cheese quesadillas: Thomasina Miers’ Mexican-inspired seasonal recipes
I have always loved the evident (though not proven) link between how foodie a country is and its love of soups. In Mexico, where nose-to-tail eating is a given, broths maintain a steadying presence in any self-respecting cantina, and soups are commonplace on most menus. We don’t eat a crazy amount of meat at home, but having homemade stock in the freezer is an ingenious fast track to flavour and goodness. Here, whether your stock is chicken or vegetable, homemade or shop-bought, the joy is in the gentle spicing, a scattering of herbs, zingy tomatillos and some lovely spring leaves.There are so many different herbs in Mexico that are impossible to find here, so I’ve used bundles of more common soft herbs to try to capture the lovely breadth of flavour in this soup
Willy’s, Margate, Kent: ‘It chortles in the face of small plates’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants
This cute and jovial eatery is reason enough to make a break for the coastAs summer looms, and with it the urge to stampede towards the edges of Britain in search of paddling opportunities, I proffer another coastal dining idea: Willy’s in Margate – and, yes, that name does have about it something of the naughty seaside postcard. Tucked away in the back of Margate House hotel on Dalby Square, a few minutes’ walk from the seafront, Willy’s is a blur of frilly red-and-pink seaside adorableness. It’s cool, cute and jovial, with pork scratchings and apple chutney on the menu, as well as black pudding scotch eggs, sticky toffee pudding and Sunday lunches of beef rump and baked cauliflower cheese. This menu is short, intentional and hearty, rather than airy-fairy, and it chortles in the face of small plates.But, for the foodie/sippy crowd, the signifiers are all here: there’s a paper plane and a penicillin on the cocktail menu, throwbacks to New York’s iconic Milk and Honey bar
Why sweet, chewy dates go perfectly with chocolate – and the best ones to try
I first cemented the allure of the “chew” aged 14, working illegally as a chambermaid (I lied about my age) and finding a guest’s Gummy Bears laid open – a breach I heavily exploited. Recently this chew need has been sated by dates and their use in chocolate as a healthy caramel. Dates do have nutritional benefits over mere sugar: fibre, minerals, antioxidants and make a great pre-workout boost.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link
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