Brexit architect promises ‘reindustrialisation’ with return to blast furnaces – but admits it’ll cost BILLIONS as critics blast ‘magic money tree’ politics
Nigel Farage swept into Port Talbot today with a dramatic pledge to resurrect Wales’ coal mining industry and bring traditional steelmaking roaring back to life – but faced immediate ridicule for what critics branded “fantasy economics.”
The Reform UK leader, pitching his party as the only real alternative to Labour’s 26-year stranglehold on Welsh politics, admitted his plans to reopen the town’s shuttered blast furnaces would cost “in the low billions” – with no clear explanation of where the money would come from.
Speaking to supporters ahead of next May’s Senedd elections, Farage painted a nostalgic picture of Wales’ industrial past while promising a controversial return to coal extraction that environmental groups immediately condemned.
Our ambition is to reindustrialise Wales,” the 60-year-old declared, vowing to bring back the blast furnaces at Port Talbot and allow Welsh coal mines to reopen to provide the fuel.
BILLIONS FOR BLAST FURNACES
When pressed on the eye-watering costs of his proposals, Farage was forced to admit the scale of the financial challenge facing his plans.
We are going to need cheaper energy, we are going to need much cheaper local coal and we are going to need private business partners prepared to come into a joint venture with government to make it work,” he said.
“Yes it is going to cost in the low billions to do it and I am not even pretending it will be easy.”
Industry experts immediately poured cold water on the proposals, with one source telling reporters: “This is pure populism from Farage. We know he has his eye on Wales in next year’s election. It is ridiculous to suggest that the Welsh Government would have the billions available to pay for new blast furnaces.
The furnaces at Port Talbot were decommissioned in September 2024, with experts warning they cannot simply be “turned back on” – rebuilding them from scratch would cost an estimated £3 billion.
COAL COMEBACK CONTROVERSY
Perhaps even more controversial was Farage’s pledge to overturn Labour’s ban on new coal mines and restart extraction in Wales, where the last deep mine closed in 2008.
“I am not standing here and – no doubt some will lampoon this – I am not saying let’s open up all the pits,” he insisted. “What I am saying is there is coal, specific types of coal for certain uses that we still need in this country.”
When confronted with the fact that even a Reform victory in Wales wouldn’t give them power to override UK government mining bans, Farage’s response was characteristically combative: “We can always have a fight, can’t we? We can always have a fight – and who knows, there may be situations where we just do things.”
The comments sparked immediate concern about Reform’s respect for the rule of law and devolution settlements.
LABOUR’S SCATHING RESPONSE
Welsh Labour wasted no time in tearing into what they branded Farage’s “magic money tree” promises.
A party spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage has no plans for steel – just a camera crew. You can’t restart a blast furnace with a press conference.
“The people of Wales will see through the false hope and false promises of a public-school boy from England who does not understand them and does not understand Wales.
“His answer is to bring back the mines. The only thing Nigel Farage is trying to mine is votes from communities that have already gone through tough times.
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT FURY
Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS was equally scathing, linking Farage’s promises to his controversial allies across the Atlantic.
Nigel Farage has some real cheek to come to Port Talbot and promise them the world while his best mate Donald Trump is threatening to destroy the remnants of our steel industry with yet more tariffs,” she said.
Like his idols, Donald Trump and Liz Truss, Nigel Farage would wreck the Welsh economy and local services with unfunded tax cuts and the hollowing out of public services.
Dodds pointedly noted that in a recent by-election in Neath Port Talbot, the Lib Dems “easily beat Reform and pushed Labour into fourth place” – suggesting Farage’s appeal in industrial heartlands might be overstated.
‘WELSH DOGE’ PROMISED
In addition to his industrial promises, Farage pledged to create a “Welsh DOGE” – referencing Elon Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency in the United States – to slash public spending.
The party would also “redirect economic funding from consultants and NGOs to actual factory floors, machinery, and industrial jobs in places like Llanelli, Shotton, and Ebbw Vale,” he claimed.
REFORM’S WELSH AMBITIONS
Despite the scepticism, Farage was bullish about his party’s chances, declaring: “Our aim is very simple. Our aim is to win. Our aim is to win a majority. And our aim as a party is to govern in Wales.
He predicted that Plaid Cymru would only do well in its “heartlands,” while claiming the Tories are “dying” and “pretty close to an extinction event” in Wales.
Reform is currently polling second in Wales behind Plaid Cymru, with analysis suggesting around 40% of 2024 Labour voters say they won’t support Sir Keir Starmer’s party in next year’s Senedd elections.
THE STEEL REALITY
The reality at Port Talbot is far more complex than Farage’s soundbites suggest. While the blast furnaces have closed, the steelworks itself remains operational, currently employing over 2,500 people and producing steel using imported slabs.
Tata Steel is investing £1.25 billion in a new electric arc furnace, due to be operational by 2028, which will use UK-sourced scrap steel in a greener production process. The UK Government is contributing £500 million to this transition.
While the shift has resulted in nearly 2,800 job losses – a genuine tragedy for the community – industry experts stress that returning to traditional blast furnace production would be economically unviable in the modern global market.
TIMING QUESTIONS
Farage also used his platform to claim credit for Labour’s announcement today about Winter Fuel Payments, suggesting the timing was designed to overshadow his speech.
“Reform are leading now much of their agenda,” he jabbed, accusing Labour of being in a “state of absolute blind panic” about Reform’s rise.
The visit comes just days after Reform suffered internal turmoil, with party chairman Zia Yusuf dramatically quitting before performing a U-turn and returning within 48 hours – prompting the party’s former co-leader to brand it a “circus.
As Farage’s Reform UK roadshow rolled out of Port Talbot, the battle lines for next year’s Senedd elections were clearly drawn. Whether Welsh voters will buy into his vision of reopened mines and relit furnaces – or see it as the “fantasy politics” his critics claim – remains to be seen.
What’s certain is that after 26 years of Labour dominance in Cardiff, Welsh politics is entering uncharted territory. And Nigel Farage, never one to miss an opportunity for disruption, is determined to be at the centre of it.
Image credit:
“Official portrait of Nigel Farage MP (crop 2)” by Laurie Noble, licensed under CC BY 3.0 – Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
