Suffrago Polling Shows 61% Support Nationalisation as Parliament Takes Control of British Steel in Historic Vote
MPs Act Swiftly to Secure Steel Production as Public Opinion Shows Clear Backing for Government Intervention
Following yesterday's rare Saturday sitting of Parliament, where MPs passed emergency legislation to save British Steel, polling data from political technology platform Suffrago reveals that the government's decisive action aligns with public sentiment, with 61% of respondents supporting nationalisation and just 17% opposing.
"This level of consensus is noteworthy, but the comments we've collected reveal the complexity beneath these numbers," says Andrew Gray, CEO of Suffrago. "People have raised concerns from questions about returning steel to British ownership after Chinese acquisition, to debates about profitability with 3,500 jobs at stake, to broader questions about whether this could signal the beginning of wider nationalisation including energy, water and rail."
Parliament acted decisively, passing the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill in a single day, giving the government immediate powers to take control of British Steel's Scunthorpe plant after Chinese owners Jingye announced plans to shut down its two blast furnaces.
Scunthorpe Already in Bottom 20% of UK Economy
Suffrago's constituency data paints a troubling picture of a community with little economic buffer. The average worker in Scunthorpe earns just £25,400 before tax, placing it in the bottom 20% of UK constituencies.
"The comments we've recorded show many citizens questioning whether we're simply repeating history in the privatisation versus nationalisation debate," adds Gray. "The overwhelming parliamentary support for intervention shows this transcends traditional party lines when strategic national interests are at stake."
The emergency legislation grants the government sweeping powers to control British Steel's assets, direct its workforce, and ensure continued operation of the Scunthorpe plant – the last UK facility capable of producing virgin steel using blast furnaces. Without intervention, the UK would have become the only G7 country without primary steelmaking capability.
While the Business Secretary emphasised that the measures are temporary and don't amount to full nationalisation, the government has stated that all options, including potential public ownership, remain under review as they develop a long-term strategy for the UK steel industry.
The public can access Suffrago's full Scunthorpe constituency dashboard and polling data at suffrago.org.
About Suffrago
Suffrago is a political technology platform that helps the voices of the people be heard by those in power. By collecting public opinion and connecting it with relevant contextual data, Suffrago provides decision-makers with the insights they need to understand what matters to their constituents and why. For more information, visit www.suffrago.org.
For information on Scunthorpe visit https://www.suffrago.org/uk/scunthorpe