Steelworkers in Port Talbot confront Sajid Javid over Tata jobs

Sajid Javid made a flying visit to Port Talbot in South Wales after cutting short a business trip to Australia to deal with a shock decision by Tata to sell its loss-making UK assets.

As he left a meeting inside the plant, a group of banner waving steelworkers asked him what the Government was doing to save the industry.

He said the Government was on their side, adding that steel was “absolutely vital” to the UK’s industrial sector.

Quizzed by the workers on whether they had an industry, he said: “The industry is absolutely vital to the future of the UK industrial sector.”

Asked if there were any potential buyers, he said it would be wrong for commercial reasons to name anyone expressing interest, but said: “There will most certainly be people.”

He said the Government would work with Tata, the Welsh government and the unions.

“We are on your side. The time is there, meetings today have been constructive, but also with Tata management in India, they have been very responsible, they’ve shown in the past as a group they are a responsible company, they’ve had to sell things in the past, I take confidence from that and so should you.”

Mr Javid said in media interviews that the Government has received confidential information from Tata about its UK assets and is now engaged on trying to find a buyer.

Mr Javid said he “rushed back” from Australia and described his meeting with managers, workers and union officials in Port Talbot as “productive”.

“We have worked really hard with Tata for a long time, making sure we can find a new buyer. Information we got from Tata is confidential.”

Mr Javid maintained the Government had been leading efforts in the European Union to impose tariffs on cheap Chinese steel, one of the issues blamed for the current crisis.