The UK Government has recalled parliament to discuss legislation to British Steel running.

Cumbria’s five MPs along with the rest of the House of Commons are heading back to London for an emergency debate on Saturday, April 11, as the situation around British Steel evolves.

This will be only the fifth time since World War Two that Parliament has sat on a Saturday.

In a speech the Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “the future of British Steel hangs in the balance” and “jobs, investment, growth, our economic and national security are all on the line.”

The Prime Minister carried on saying how “important steel is, not just to the region but to the whole country. It is part of our National story, part of the pride and heritage of this nation.”

That the government will “act in the national interest to protect British jobs and British workers.”

Parliament will look to pass legislation in one day that will give the Business Secretary everything he needs to stop the closure of the blast furnaces at Scunthorpe.

The UK government has been in discussions with British Steel Chinese opener Jingye about how it could keep the furnaces running as the operation is reportedly losing £700,000 per day.

Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party condemned the Labour government saying it has “landed itself in a steel crisis, entirely of their own making.”

That “As Business Secretary last year, I negotiated a modernisation plan with British Steel to limit job losses and keep the plant running, including introducing an electric arc furnace in Teesside, similar to what I did with Port Talbot steelworks.”

And the government had “bungled the negotiations” and “Instead of addressing it earlier in the week when Parliament was sitting, their incompetence has led to a last-minute recall of Parliament.”

The Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davy called on all politicians to grasp the importance of the moment saying: “Tomorrow must be seen as an opportunity to come forward with a serious plan for the sustainable future of domestic steel production.

“The public rightly deserves better than political opportunism and grandstanding.

“I hope across all sides of the House that this message is understood and embraced.

“We Liberal Democrats stand ready to help constructively bring about an outcome that delivers real change.

“All politicians would do well to remember the country is watching.”