John’s response to the announcement that HMRC has withdrawn its winding up petition against the speciality steels division of Liberty Steel:
“I urged the Businesses Secretary last month to get HMRC back around the table with Liberty Steel to reach agreement on repayments and avoid the risk of the company being forced out of business by the Government.
“I am pleased to see that they’ve done this and HMRC has withdrawn its winding-up petition. This is good news for our Rotherham steel plant and a relief for workers who were unsettled about the company’s future.
“The fact that HMRC has agreed a repayments plan should also be seen as showing some government confidence in Liberty’s long-term refinancing prospects.
“What we need now is the new investment promised by Liberty’s bosses and the long-pledged government action on energy costs for all UK steelmakers.”