So can anyone tell me who in the UK is buying all this cheap Chinese steel?
It's just that this malpractice is killing the industry, that's all really. I know we all like a bargain - god know's I've been down the high street myself hunting for ways to save money. One time I went shoulder to shoulder with Bob Geldof grabbing candles in a sale. And clearly, the UK steel industry is the candle in the wind about to be snuffed out for good. But it's no good complaining about it's demise when there are companies/individuals within the UK looking for cut price steel bargains. We're in effect cutting our own throats. What's the answer? Force UK manufacturers to only buy UK made steel? There once was a time when 'Made in Britain' really stood for something, but these days we all want everything made as cheap as possible. Has UK Government introduced incentives to the suppliers into key projects like HS2 to purchase homegrown products? I bet the Chinese Government has. In any public procurement, there should be greater weighting given to the local economic benefits created, says Gareth Stace, director of the industry body UK Steel. This whole low-cost manufacturing lark has got a lot to answer for really - and the social impact has been huge too. Where once there was almost a guarantee of UK employment provided you were willing to work in a factory, work hard and work your way up the both the job and salary ladder, now teenagers have a reason NOT to get out of bed and instead stay at home playing on their XBoxes - no doubt from components made in China. Where's the incentive? Do we want cheap products or do we want jobs and livelihoods? I guess it's all about freedom of choice and the more entrepreneurial among us have been backslapping and high 'fiving' each other because they've saved their companies money. I'd love to have been there at the Pandora's box moment when the first struggling UK manufacturer - hamstrung by the high price of steel manufactured in Scunthorpe or wherever - thought 'I'll show them - I'll import it cheaper from abroad'. And the rest as they say is history. Somehow we find away to get what we want at the price we want - it's the human spirit. I just wish we'd all stopped sooner to look at the bigger picture. EU rules prevent our Government intervening in these matters. Perhaps this is a good enough reason for Britain to get out of the EU? Mike Richardson, editor
