ECONOMY spokesman Luke Fletcher pledged to nationalise the steel industry as part of Plaid Cymru’s economic plan for Wales at the weekend.

“Steel is a strategic resource and we cannot rely on a private company to run it in the nation’s interest,” Mr Fletcher said.

The Senedd member for the South Wales West region was speaking at a meeting of Undeb, the party’s trade union group.

“We must look at ownership and for the Tata Steel site in Port Talbot to be nationalised in the country’s interest,” Mr Fletcher said.

Mr Fletcher said the company’s plan to close both blast furnaces and operate a new electric arc furnace would not fulfil the country’s needs for steel for green industries.

He explained Plaid was pressing the Welsh government to use existing legislation to protect the two blast furnaces to stop Tata’s plan to shut them down.

“The Welsh government is interested in this approach, and we will keep pressing them on this,” Mr Fletcher said.