The House of Commons is set to be recalled tomorrow for an historic sitting to discuss the future of British Steel, GB News understands.
MPs from across Britain will be returning to Parliament for a rare Saturday sitting at 11am - with speculation soaring that Labour could move to nationalise the Chinese-owned firm.
Politicians had left Westminster for their Easter recess on Tuesday - and it marks the first time Parliament will sit on a Saturday since MPs paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II following her death in 2022.
It comes just hours after Rachel Reeves vowed "all options remain on the table" regarding the plant.
Rumours had been mounting that the Government may move to nationalise the firm altogether after owners Jingye cancelled future orders for the iron ore, coal and other raw materials required to keep the blast furnaces running.
It's the first time Parliament has sat on a Saturday since MPs paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II after her death
HOUSE OF COMMONS
"All options remain on the table regarding British Steel," she said.
"This Government recognises the importance of those jobs in Scunthorpe and in the local area, and we're doing everything we can to preserve those jobs and to support those communities. We're in conversation both with the owners and with the trade unions to find a deal."
Downing Street said on Friday: "The Prime Minister has been clear his Government will always act in the national interest. All actions we take are in the name of British industry, British jobs and for British workers.
"Tomorrow, Parliament will be recalled to debate the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill. The Bill provides the Government with the power to direct steel companies in England, which we will use to protect the Scunthorpe site.
"It enables the UK government to preserve capability and ensure public safety. It also ensures all options remain viable for the future of the plant and the livelihoods it supports.
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Reform UK has also made the issue a key campaigning point - with Nigel Farage, Richard Tice and Greater Lincolnshire mayoral candidate Dame Andrea Jenkyns all visiting the Scunthorpe works
REFORM UK
"We have been negotiating with British Steel's owners in good faith ever since coming to office. We have always been clear there is a bright future for steel in the UK. All options remain on the table."
Reform UK has also made the issue a key campaigning point - with Nigel Farage, Richard Tice and Greater Lincolnshire mayoral candidate Dame Andrea Jenkyns all visiting the Scunthorpe works earlier this week.
In total, Parliament has been recalled just 34 times since 1948 - and there have only been five Saturday sittings since the war:
- July 30, 1949: To conduct summer adjournment debates before the summer recess;
- November 3, 1956: In response to the Suez Crisis;
- April 3, 1982: Following the invasion of the Falkland Islands;
- October 19, 2019: To debate the EU Withdrawal Agreement;
- September 10, 2022: To pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
One of the five Saturday sittings fell following Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands
PAAlongside calls to nationalise British Steel altogether, there have also been demands - led by the Tories - for a "commercial solution".
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC that such a solution was "within reach" - and vowed that the firm will "continue to be an important part of our economy for years to come".
"I am absolutely confident that we are doing every single thing that we can to secure the future of British Steel and particularly the site at Scunthorpe," she said.
