Held to account

Unite has welcomed as ‘fitting’ Labour’s creation of a brand new post of shadow steel minister.

In a move designed to turn up the heat on the government Gill Furniss has been appointed to the post in Jeremy Corbyn’s new frontbench team.

Ms Furniss – the Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough MP – has made campaigning to save the British steel industry a priority since arriving in Westminster earlier this year.

She was elected to Parliament after her husband – Harry Harpham – died of cancer less than a year after winning the seat in the 2015 general election.

 

‘Importance of steel’

Unite assistant general secretary, Tony Burke, said her support would be crucial in the months ahead: “this move by the Labour Party is not only a fitting recognition of the importance of steel as a foundation industry.

“It will help ensure the government is held to account on its promises to do everything possible, such as taking a public stake, to secure the future of steel and the manufacturing communities who rely on the industry as source of decent jobs and prosperity.”

Looking at the forthcoming challenges he added: “the UK’s steel industry still faces ongoing problems such as high energy costs, the dumping of cheap foreign steel and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Tata’s commitment to producing steel here in the UK.”

Ms Furniss – the daughter of a Sheffield steelworker, was a Unison activist and Sheffield city councillor prior to her election – commented: “This is personal, not just for me but for so many workers whose futures are at stake.

‘Vital industry’

“Our steel industry is vital in my city of Sheffield but I know it is just as important for communities across the country.

“This government may wish they could forget the duty they owe to British steel workers but I hope this appointment shows that the Labour Party will never let them off the hook.”

Her late husband was the last ever deep pit coalminer elected to the Commons and memorably used his final appearance in the House to savage David Cameron over the steel crisis.

At Prime Minister’s Questions in January Mr Harpham accused the government of “warm words, hand-wringing and some crocodile tears” over a “tsunami of losses in the steel industry”.