Fears for 1,450 jobs as Liberty Steel fights for its future with winding-up petition set to be heard

Published on: May 20, 2025

By RICHARD MARSDEN

Updated: 22:01 BST, 20 May 2025

The future of 1,450 steel jobs hangs in the balance today as a winding-up petition is due to be heard against a company run by tycoon Sanjeev Gupta.

Liberty Steel’s Speciality Steels UK (SSUK) arm is seeking to adjourn the court action brought by trade suppliers thought to be owed £4million.

Without an adjournment, SSUK – which runs steel plants in Rotherham and Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire, and Bolton, Greater Manchester – faces compulsory liquidation.

The Official Receiver would then appoint a special manager to run the sites while a buyer is sought and assets sold to pay the debts.

Gupta – whose family is worth more than £4billion – is understood to have asked the Government to intervene using legislation passed last month, allowing it to take over the Scunthorpe blast furnaces and prevent closure by their Chinese owners, Jingye.

The requests are said to have been rejected. Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community Trade Union, called for ‘new, responsible ownership’.

Liberty Steel’s Speciality Steels UK (SSUK) arm is seeking to adjourn the court action brought by trade suppliers thought to be owed £4m

DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS

Easy investing and ready-made portfolios

AJ Bell

Easy investing and ready-made portfolios

Hargreaves Lansdown

Free fund dealing and investment ideas

interactive investor

Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month

Account and trading fee-free ETF investing

InvestEngine

Account and trading fee-free ETF investing

Trading 212

Free share dealing and no account fee

Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.

Compare the best investing account for you

:
Fears for 1,450 jobs as Liberty Steel fights for its future with winding-up petition set to be heard

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk

Fears for 1,450 jobs as Liberty Steel fights for its future with winding-up petition set to be heard