Sir David Murray vows to save Dalzell steel mill as he reveals masterplan

Scottish Sun

13 hours ago

SIR David Murray vowed to be a 'big customer' of Dalzell steel mill if his masterplan to save it becomes reality.
The ex-Rangers owner and metal magnate, 73, says he is ready to play a major role in providing Scottish steel for North Sea wind turbines to power the nation's future energy.
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Sir David Murray vowed to be a 'big customer' of Dalzell steel mill
Credit: Andrew Barr
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The plant in Motherwell is currently mothballed due to cheap Chinese steel imports and a drought in orders
Credit: Getty
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Some 140 workers were furloughed or placed on maintenance duties in April this year
Credit: Reuters
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New Liberty owner Sanjeev Gupta with Nicola Sturgeon
Credit: Alan Ewing
The plant in Motherwell is currently mothballed due to cheap Chinese steel imports and a drought in orders, with some 140 workers furloughed or placed on maintenance duties in April this year.
Sir David has been in talks with Holyrood ministers for a decade over halting the industry's decline.
He has now revealed he has held hush-hush negotiations with the UK Government to rescue the mill.
His latest intervention comes after PM Sir Keir Starmer and Scottish Secretary Ian Murray blasted SNP ministers in May for allowing the nation's last remaining steel plants — Dalzell and Clydebridge in Cambuslang — to cease production.
The Scottish Government orchestrated a takeover of the sites in 2016, putting taxpayers' cash on the line.
And Sir Keir insisted last month it was important to 'get those plants up and running again'.
Now Sir David has told The Scottish Sun on Sunday: 'There is a lot of political stuff going on over Dalzell. I've been heavily involved in trying to save the plate mill.
'I have spoken to the British Government in the last week and there's a meeting in a few weeks' time.
'The workforce has stayed at home for months and got 80 per cent of their wages. But it could be sorted in a week. We need people in management to work with me.
'I'd be the chairman, I'd help the management, I'd help the business, we'd be a big customer.
Former Rangers owner Sir David Murray vows to save Dalzell steel mill with masterplan
'At the time it closed, I was one of its biggest customers.
'At our peak we'd be selling 550,000 tonnes of steel a year.
'That's five Forth rail bridges in weight. Today it's just over one because the fabrication business is diminishing — it's ridiculous that Britain does not have the capacity to roll a steel plate.'
Sir David told how there is one mill in the north-east of England which is Ukrainian-owned.
He went on: 'The wind turbines being made for the North Sea are much bigger now.
'It's a heavier plate, ideal for Dalzell. There are 50,000 tonnes of steel coming to Teesside this week from Korea to be made into turbines.
'The Scottish Government don't own one wind turbine. Look at the cost of energy. We are buying power from other people who put in these turbines. We need to create growth, jobs and prosperity in this country.'
We told last July of fears the Dalzell operation would be mothballed amid a slowdown in work.
A report in March by the Community Union, which represents workers at the two plants, said low-cost steel from China and high UK energy prices were hitting British steel production.
The union said Dalzell needed investment to become a 'world-leading producer' of a key turbines component.
Sir David has long called for an inquiry into the Scottish Government's involvement in the 2016 sale of the Lanarkshire plants to tycoon Sanjeev Gupta and Liberty Steel.
The sale was backed by a £7million loan from Scottish Enterprise.
MURRAY'S HEART SCARE OP
EXCLUSIVE by Rodger Hannah
SIR David Murray has lifted the lid on a secret heart op after he was diagnosed with a potentially-fatal medical condition.
The businessman fell ill shortly before selling Rangers to Craig Whyte in 2011 — to be told he had an aortic aneurysm.
He revealed: 'I was driving home over the Forth Road Bridge and I thought I was having a heart attack. I went into Dunfermline Hospital. I had a scan. It's basically your main blood vessel and the aneurysm makes it expand.
'If it bursts, you've got about half an hour.'
Sir David believes the pressure of Rangers' financial issues and the global recession could have contributed to his health scare.
He added: 'They told me I needed an operation, which I had in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
'I shared the information with Craig Brown a few years ago.
'He had an identical thing. His burst but they managed to get him in on time.'
Former Scotland manager Brown needed life-saving surgery in 2020.
He told the Scottish Sun at the time: 'They say only about three out of ten survive it.'
Brown died in 2023 aged 82.
But Sir David claims ministers rejected his rival bid because it was potentially incompatible with state aid rules, and has criticised Mr Gupta's management since.
He said: 'Ten years ago, I met the Scottish Government and the First Minister [Nicola Sturgeon]. I put a proposal to them and I was told they couldn't do it because they couldn't give state aid.
'Then they lent somebody else £7million who hasn't paid it back.'
Mr Gupta, executive chairman of GFG Alliance which owns Liberty Steel, is being prosecuted by Companies House for failing to file accounts for more than 70 companies listed in Britain.
He denies any wrongdoing.
Ayr-born Sir David spoke exclusively ahead of this Thursday's July publication of his autobiography 'Mettle: Tragedy, Courage and Titles.
He remains chair of his family firm, Murray Capital Group, albeit his son, also David, runs day-to-day operations as managing director.
He reveals in his new book that some of his teenage grandkids have already attended board meetings.
He added: 'There is an opportunity for young people but you better come to the table with a skill.
'You're not coming, as my great friend Sean Connery said, as a member of The Lucky Sperm Club.'
The UK Government confirmed Sir David had met with MP Ian Murray.
A source said: 'David Murray has met Ian Murray to discuss his concerns about the Dalzell works being mothballed because the SNP cut a bad deal. We encourage the SNP Government to take advantage of the trade deals the UK Labour Government has cut and the industrial strategy which present a huge opportunity for Scottish steel.'
Liberty Steel declined to comment. The Scottish Government said its 2016 intervention 'sustained over 100 jobs at Dalzell and retained steelmaking capacity in Scotland.'
Scottish Enterprise confirmed: 'We remain in discussion with Liberty Steel regarding repayment of the loan funding.'