PLAID CYMRU has accused the UK government of failing to support Welsh steel communities equally, after it emerged that nationalisation is being considered for British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant—but was ruled out for Port Talbot.

The party has renewed its call for public ownership of the Port Talbot steelworks following comments from Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who said nationalising British Steel remains an option to save jobs at its loss-making Scunthorpe site.

Plaid’s economy spokesperson, Luke Fletcher MS, said: “If it’s good enough for Scunthorpe, why wasn’t it good enough for Port Talbot?”

In September last year, Tata Steel closed its two blast furnaces at Port Talbot with the loss of 2,800 jobs. The closure followed a £500 million support deal with the UK government to help the firm transition to greener steel production—but nationalisation was not considered.

Fletcher, who represents south-west Wales, told BBC Radio Wales: “We were asking for nationalisation to be looked at until we were blue in the face. Labour promised that having governments in Cardiff and Westminster would save Welsh steel—but in the end, the deal they offered wasn’t much different to the Conservatives’.”

Back in 2016, the Conservative government said nationalisation was not an option for Port Talbot. The £500m package announced last year under Labour was broadly the same as the one proposed by the outgoing government.

Plaid’s Swansea spokesperson, Dr Gwyn Williams, said nationalisation could have allowed Wales to adopt hydrogen-based steelmaking, like Tata is doing in the Netherlands.

“Tata are using green hydrogen at their Dutch site but have refused to do the same in Wales,” he said. “Plaid believes Wales deserves world-class green technology to build a sustainable economy for future generations.”

On Thursday, Tata said it had taken a major step forward in decarbonising its operations at Port Talbot, signing contracts with Clecim and ABB Limited to deliver a new pickle line—specialist equipment used in modern steel processing.

Meanwhile, British Steel’s Chinese owner, Jingye, has said the Scunthorpe site is losing £700,000 a day. Around 2,700 people are employed there and the plant is home to the UK’s last blast furnaces.

Talks to try to secure the future of the site are expected to resume this week, with the UK government reportedly offering to buy coal to keep the furnaces running. On Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that “all options” are being considered—including nationalisation.

Carrie Bone, UK steel editor at Kallanish Commodities, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that both Tata and British Steel were in similar situations—facing major losses and needing to modernise.

She noted that Tata accepted the £500m offered by government, while British Steel reportedly turned it down and asked for £1 billion.

“You can understand why the government might be hesitant to offer that much,” she said. “It’s not clear why nationalisation wasn’t considered for Tata, but there are thousands of jobs at stake—and the optics of letting the UK’s last blast furnace close are politically very difficult.”

The UK government has been approached for comment.

NEW BOOK PRESERVES FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS OF D-DAY, BATTLE OF BRITAIN AND HIROSHIMA

THE MEMORIES of Pembrokeshire’s World War Two veterans have been recorded in a powerful new book to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

Authors Hugh Morgan and GJ Lewis have spent more than 30 years interviewing Welsh veterans of the Second World War. Their work has now been brought together in a new volume titled World War Two: Voices from Wales.

The book includes previously unpublished interviews with Pembrokeshire servicemen, including Dennis Tidswell of Pembroke, Ted Owens of Pembroke Dock, Tony Bird of Freshwater East, Duncan Hilling of Saundersfoot, and Gordon Prime of Jameston.

Among the most striking accounts is that of Mr Hilling, who served with the Welch Regiment in Japan after the atomic bombings.

“In the first few days of arriving, I drove six of us into Hiroshima to see the damage there,” said Mr Hilling, now 99. “It’s indescribable, really. We went into a hospital where people were just lying on beds. A lot of them, their skin had peeled off their faces and arms. It was a hideous sight.

“Lots of them were blind – the bomb had blinded them when they heard this plane overhead and looked up, which was absolutely fatal, because they saw the bomb explode in midair right above them.”

Dennis Tidswell, who passed away in 2022 aged 99, took part in the Battle of Britain and the siege of Malta. D-Day veterans Ted Owens and Gordon Prime both died in 2023, aged 98.

Tony Bird, now 101, also took part in the Normandy landings alongside his future wife, Florence Paul, who served aboard a ship relaying vital messages to the fleet. She died in the 1980s.

“My most vivid memory of the invasion was the tremendous number of aircraft flying over as we were crossing the Channel,” Mr Bird recalled. “There were literally hundreds of aircraft going over, obviously going in to drop their troops inland, in anticipation of the invasion.”

Co-author Hugh Morgan said: “As a child growing up during the 50s and 60s, I was accustomed to living in a society of men and women who had been through the hell of WW2.

“Sadly, the veterans I knew back then are now almost all gone. But the joy and immense privilege of interviewing so many over the years has always stayed with me. Their jaw-dropping memories were so vivid and powerful.

“Our book captures the unique experiences of 50 ordinary men and women who fought and survived with enormous personal tenacity and courage to defeat the absolute tyranny of fascism.

“Reading their stories, in today’s increasingly troubling world, provides us with a clear warning from history.”

World War Two: Voices from Wales includes a foreword by Dame Siân Phillips and is published by Y Lolfa on May 8. It is priced at £12.99

A NEW record could soon be set on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path as ultra-runner Sanna Duthie prepares to take on the full 186-mile trail in under 50 hours to raise vital funds for the Pembrokeshire Coast Charitable Trust.

Starting at Poppit Sands at 8.30am on Thursday 24 April, Sanna will attempt to beat her own record of 51 hours and 30 minutes, which she set in 2021. The challenge will push her physical and mental endurance to the limit as she navigates the rugged and spectacular coastline of the UK’s only coastal National Park.

Sanna’s motivation for this challenge goes beyond breaking records. She is driven by her deep connection to the Coast Path and her desire to help safeguard it for future generations. The funds raised will support essential maintenance, from rebuilding storm-damaged bridges to protecting ancient monuments and combating coastal erosion.

Speaking about her challenge, Sanna said: “The Coast Path has given me so much over the years – it’s my training ground, my escape, and my inspiration. Now, it’s time for me to give something back. I hope to raise £2,000 to help protect and preserve this incredible trail, ensuring that others can continue to experience its beauty and challenges for years to come.”

Sanna’s record-breaking attempt is being supported by the Pembrokeshire Coast Charitable Trust, which funds crucial conservation projects within the National Park.

Trust Director Katie Macro added: “Sanna’s determination and passion for the Coast Path are truly inspiring. Her challenge highlights the urgent need for funding to protect this iconic trail from the increasing threats of climate change, erosion, and declining public funding. Every donation, no matter how small, will help us continue this essential work.”

For those inspired by Sanna’s feat but not quite ready to run 186 miles, the Trust’s Wild Coast Challenge offers an alternative way to experience the Coast Path while supporting its future. This fundraising adventure invites walkers to complete the trail at their own pace—whether over weeks, months, or even a year.

By raising just £200, participants will directly contribute to conservation efforts while earning a Wild Coast Challenge t-shirt as a badge of honour for their achievement.

Further information about this can be found at https://pembrokeshirecoasttrust.wales.

To support Sanna’s record-breaking attempt and help her reach her £2,000 fundraising target, visit her JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/sanna-duthie-1729103753472.