THE steel minister is travelling to Redcar this afternoon for emergency talks on the future of SSI.

Anna Soubry, will discuss the site's future with Labour MPs Anna Turley and Tom Blenkinsop, as well as Amanda Skelton, chief executive of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

Her visit comes amid calls from workers and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for David Cameron to step in and rescue more than 2,000 jobs at the loss-making plant. Mr Cameron is currently on a trade visit to the Caribbean. 

On Monday, SSI announced it was mothballing the Redcar blast furnace in a bid to cut costs. This will lead to 1,700 redundancies, with about 500 workers being retained to run coke ovens, power generators and materials handling operations. Tees MPs say they have a plant to savethe works which they want to put before Ms Soubry. 

Mr Blenkinsop said: “We have a plan to rescue this asset. The government doesn't. The plan might not work. But it definitely won't if we don't try. It's now up to them to work with us here in the region to save steelmaking on Teesside.”

The minister has asked Ms Skelton to head a task force of SSI bosses, local business leaders, trade unions, MPs, council leaders and other stakeholders to find ways that the steel plant and firms in the area can be supported through the crisis.

Ms Soubry said today: “I wanted to come to Redcar to continue my discussions with the company, unions and local leaders. It is important we all come together to do whatever we can to support the workforce, they are the priority and that’s why the local task force that I asked to be set up will have a vital role.

“This is a hugely difficult time for the community and I will continue to put all my efforts into making sure the government provides support where we can.”

Tomorrow she will visit the SSI works in Redcar. 

Ms Turley said: “I am really pleased we have been able to secure this visit so that the minister can see first-hand how much the steelworks means to Teesside and why urgent action is needed to secure it.

“Tom and I will be putting a rescue plan for the SSI site to her which will involve working with a number of partners including the unions, local British businesses and organisations in the region.

“The plan will propose a way in which the site can be properly secured, keeping the blast furnace lit so that one day when the market turns Teesside will be able to produce steel again.

“But the plan will only work if all partners, including the government, sit down and work together on the details. We hope the minister will commit to doing this tomorrow.”