Vera Baird, the MP for Redcar, responds to Mayor Ray Mallon's allegation

Vera Baird, the MP for Redcar, was responding to claims made by Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon in The Northern Echo yesterday.

Both were members of a delegation that travelled to London on Tuesday to meet the Business Secretary following the announcement on December 4 that the plant was to be mothballed.

Mr Mallon said “the men of steel were betrayed by the men of straw” and that “not one of them put forward fresh ideas or voiced concern that not enough options had been explored to save the plant”.

He said: “Nothing anyone said in the meeting mattered as the Government’s mind was made up long before we arrived. It was not going to fight for the steelworks.”

Mrs Baird said: “I walked into the room and said ‘Peter we have to save this plant, that is the first thing you must try to do’ and he said he would help in any way he could. Mr Mallon was sat three seats away from me.”

Writing in The Northern Echo, Mr Mallon also asked why public funds were subsidising a Corus plant in Wales, but not the one in Redcar.

Mrs Baird said: “I told Peter Mandelson that I had made an offer to (Corus chief executive) Kirby Adams to try to get a wage subsidy with Peter so instead of mothballing the plant he could put it on short time instead, and Kirby Adams refused.

“Mr Mallon’s entitled to his views, but facts are facts and it is not right to say nobody voiced concern and no options were put forward to save the plant.”

The leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, George Dunning, was another delegate at Tuesday’s meeting.

He said those present had made proposals and contributions, and added: “Mayor Mallon attempted to quote from a Northern Echo article on the steel crisis and was told by Peter Mandelson that this meeting was not for political comments but to look for proposals to help with any job losses.”

At the meeting, Mr Mandelson also announced a £60m support package to create new employment on Teesside, which Mr Mallon described as “not new money”.

Coun Dunning said: “Redcar and Cleveland council believed that to get £60m within four days of the Corus announcement was worthwhile and an acknowledgement for the work everyone had done over the weekend.”

Development agency One North East declined to comment on Mr Mallon’s views. A spokesman said: “We are concentrating our efforts on the priority of putting in place a support package for Corus workers facing an uncertain future.”

It emerged yesterday that Mrs Baird has also written to Mr Adams asking him to comment on a widespread rumour that Tata Steel, the Indian parent company of Corus, would profit from trading in its carbon emissions following the mothballing of TCP.

Members of the Community union who work at TCP will stage a march outside The Riverside football ground before Middlesbrough’s game against Cardiff tomorrow.

National officer Roy Rickhuss said: “Middlesbrough Football Club is an important part of community life on Teesside in the same way as steelmaking has been a part of these communities for over 100 years.”

Community union members will also march around the pitch before kick-off.

The union’s secretary, Michael Leahy, will meet Lord Mandelson on Tuesday to call for further Government support.

Ashok Kumar, the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP, was told yesterday that he had secured an adjournment debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday with a business minister.

The North-East Committee of the House of Commons yesterday revealed an inquiry would take place into the position of Corus following last week’s announcement.

The committee intends to hear evidence early in the new year with a view to reporting on the job losses, what is being put in place to help those who will lose their jobs, what can be done to prevent the plant’s permanent closure and the wider implications for the region’s economy.

Written submissions relating to those points should be sent to the committee by January 10.