Metals

The UK steel industry was in remarkably good shape after the war.

In this chapter I explore the reasons for this and set out the state of the industry at the point of nationalisation. I describe the denationalisation that followed and then renationalisation and privatisation. Some 30% of the industry was excluded from the second nationalisation and I explore this. Both renationalisation and privatisation were followed by rationalisation. Two of the leaders of the steel industry, Ronald Weeks of Vickers and Reddy Readman of its English Steel subsidiary had fulfilled important roles in army supply during WW2.

There is then the question of whether we need a steel industry and whether, subject to the carbon footprint, we would be better looking to countries with better sources of ore and greener energy.

I also look at aluminium and metals used as catalysts. The influence of India and China is inescapable not least with the role of Tata Steel.

The image is of the aluminium plant and related hydro-electric near Fort William