British Steel on verge of collapse with 25,000 jobs under threat
Steel producer wants emergency £30m government loan, administrators could be appointed on Wednesday
London — British Steel, the UK's second-biggest steel producer, was in danger of collapsing on Tuesday if the government did not agree to provide an emergency £30m loan, said two informed sources. Owned by investment firm Greybull Capital, British Steel employs about 5,000 people, mostly in Scunthorpe in the north of England, and 20,000 more depend on its supply chain. Greybull, which specialises in turning around distressed businesses, paid former owners Tata Steel a nominal £1 in 2016 for the unprofitable company, which they renamed British Steel. British Steel asked the government for a £75m loan but later reduced its demand to £30m after Greybull agreed to put up more money, according one of the sources, who is close to the negotiations. Greybull was also the owner of Monarch, an airline that went bust in October 2017. If the British Steel loan was not approved by Tuesday afternoon, administrators EY could be appointed as early as Wednesday, the source said. British Steel a...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.