Playing the Anti Net Zero Card in the UK Steel Crisis?

 

Even before the imposition of recent tariffs, UK steel was relatively expensive. This is largely due to the relatively high cost of UK electricity, The foreign owners of the last remaining UK blast furnaces were consequently intent on closing them down as being 'uneconomic'. Once closed, such devices can't be restarted as they are permanently damaged in the process. That would leave the UK in a position where it was unable to  produce 'virgin steel' from iron ore. Parliament consequently held a very unusual Saturday meeting to pass a law, containing emergency powers to take control of the two last functional blast furnaces in Scunthorpe (Northern England). During that debate and in sections of the associated media, the situation was blamed on the Environment Secretary and the UK's net zero policy. It was claimed he was driving up energy prices. It was also maintained that, by blocking establishing a new coalmine in Cumbria, he had essentially vetoed a source of necessary cheap coking coal. The Director of the UK Energy Research Centre and others, note that neither claim is true. UK electricity is relatively expensive because its cost is linked to the volatile gas markets. The drive to generate more UK electricity, using wind turbines will bring prices down. The UK is very well situated, to benefit from wind power. The claims about the potential benefits of Cumbrian coal also don't stack up. Its product contains too much sulphur to be used to produce coking coal for steel production. Eighty-five percent of its coal would have to be exported (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/14/rightwing-media-blames-ed-miliband-uk-steel-crisis-net-zero). The question is ' Are the attempts to blame the net zero policy for the steel crisis because the politicians (and their media friends) really believe it or are they simply trying to score cheap points?' Attacking net zero always appears to be an easy option for short-termism. Surely voters are more intelligent than that?