Steel, health services and ‘all over the place’ potholes – Scunthorpe MP’s priorities for 2025

The future of UK steel tops Scunthorpe MP Sir Nic Dakin’s priorities for 2025.

The Labour MP regained the seat – now with different constituency boundaries – in July 2024 after losing it to the Conservatives in December 2019. Now settled back into the role, Scunthorpe Live sat down with him to talk about his priorities for the year ahead.

“I’d put as number one the future of the UK steel industry, particularly here in Scunthorpe, continues to be anxious times for steelworkers and their families. That’s a real concern.” British Steel’s owners Jingye Group continue to be in talks with government about a funding deal to support its £1.25bn plans to make its steel greener.

It was “a real disappointment” opportunities to put the industry in a good place three or four years ago are no longer there. “At that time, there was the opportunity to invest in carbon capture and storage on the Humber,” said Sir Nic. “It was very clear that would assist blast furnace steelmaking remaining in the UK, particularly in Scunthorpe.”

The decision by the then-government to not progress “meant that Jingye were forced to relook at their plans” and became “less enthusiastic about a hybrid future for steel of blast furnaces alongside electric arc furnaces”.

He highlighted the advisory Steel Council’s launch, and the up to £2.5bn National Wealth Fund commitment to the industry. “That’s a very clear message that this government is determined to do its best for the UK steel industry in very difficult, challenging circumstances.”

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Health services and ‘endemic potholes’

“We continue to be concerned about the decisions of the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in relation to moving the services from Scunthorpe General Hospital to Grimsby,” said Sir Nic. The NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB’s plans to move services such as the trauma unit to Grimsby.

“I’m working closely with my Labour councillor colleagues to try to get the best possible outcome of that,” he said. “But I am pleased to see that this government will be opening one of the largest diagnostic centres in the country in the centre of Scunthorpe.” The future community diagnostics centre (CDC) in Lindum Street was set in motion under the previous government, and could see up to 146,000 appointments a year.

Sir Nic also called government commitments to more high quality consultants in hospitals, including in Scunthorpe this year, “a big plus”.

His other priorities concerned anti-social behaviour and litter, and potholes. “I think it’s important that the council rolls its sleeves up to make sure we keep on top of things like that,” he said. Police he met on Friday welcomed government commitment to more police and PCSOs on streets, which “will make a real difference” on anti-social behaviour.

“I think this council has had to pay out £40,000 in compensation over the last five years to people driving around who’ve been affected by potholes. That’s just the thin edge of the wedge.”

He noted the Government’s recent announcement of up to £13m extra cash for northern Lincolnshire roads maintenance, ahead of National Pothole Day on January 15. “I would hope at the end of this year we see our roads across North Lincolnshire and across Scunthorpe in a better state than they are at the moment.”

Potholes in Scotter Road, Scunthorpe, in 2023
(Image: ScunthorpeLive/Donna Clifford)

Asked for roads of particular concern, Sir Nic said: “I think it’s all over the place to be honest. I went to visit a business just off Warren Road on Friday and the state of that road, it’s just full of potholes. It is just a good illustration of a problem that’s endemic.”

Ministerial role and possible impact on Scunthorpe

Scunthorpe Live also asked Sir Nic about his ministerial role and how policies there might impact Scunthorpe. He is the minister for sentencing policy, and youth justice. He also responds to questions on rehabilitation and reoffending in the House of Commons as the minister, James Timpson, is a peer.

An independent review will make sentencing recommendations. “What the government wants to see is increased public protection and increased effectiveness of sentences. If we get that right, that will affect Scunthorpe, Kirton, and Bottesford, as much as it affects the rest of the country.”

Sir Nic is working on a youth justice plan too, building on work already. “It’s not going to be noticed until it goes wrong,” he said of the criminal justice system. “And we saw that in the riots in the summer, when the government took effective, swift action,” he said.

Scunthorpe’s response to disturbance rumours in August was “a credit to the community”, with “people joining arms, literally, to say we don’t want this here. I think that gives us some confidence about community resilience and strength we’ve got in the Scunthorpe area, but we have to build on that, we can’t take it for granted.”

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Image Credits and Reference: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/steel-health-services-all-over-9859834