UK govt takeover of Scunthorpe steel plant brings hope to residents

Scunthorpe, an industrial town in Lincolnshire, England, is home to the last steel plant in the UK to produce virgin steel used in construction and rail transport. The plant has long been struggling, with many fearing its closure would "be the end of Scunthorpe". But recent emergency legislation from the Labour government has given it control over the site in order to keep the blast furnaces burning, and giving some hope to the town. "We're a thriving town, we need the steelworks, keep the steelworks, nationalise it, get the jobs sorted out and do the job properly," says former plant worker Jim Kirk, as a long-term solution has yet to be agreed upon, leaving the plant's 2,700 workers in limbo.