UNITE’s general secretary Sharon Graham said today she fully expects Labour to make a serious commitment to a better future for British steel as the union’s petition to save thousands of steelworkers’ jobs neared its 9,000 target.

She made the comments on X (formerly Twitter) as she shared a link to the Workers’ Plan for Steel: Unite petition calling for new rules that insist British steel is used in publicly funded contracts, which Unite says will create 8,000 jobs.

Unite also wants public investment in a transition to “green steel” production, a return to public ownership of the energy industry, a price cap on energy bills and solid job guarantees in return for public funding in the steel industry.

The government has handed Tata Steel’s Port Talbot plant in south Wales £500 million — but 3,000 jobs are still expected to be lost.

Unite has placed billboards and local newspaper adverts in its campaign to protect Britain’s steel industry.