27 October 2026
Newport isn’t the first Liberty steelworks to enter liquidation. Last year workers at Rotherham and other sites experienced the same – and their future is still uncertain. Photo Workers.
The British steel industry has suffered a further blow with the liquidation of Liberty Steels Newport on 13 October. The site employs around 170 people specialising in forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming. Its future is uncertain.
The company is the latest liquidation in the complex web of companies controlled by Sanjeev Gupta, who acquired the Newport site, formerly Mir Steel, in 2013.
Property
A separate property company is not in liquidation and owns at least part of the site in Newport, south Wales. It is reported to have recently secured planning consent for a major data centre.
Greensill Capital was a major creditor of the Liberty House Group but went into administration in 2021 after racking up billions of dollars of debt.
The Serious Fraud Office has an ongoing investigation into the conduct and financing of businesses with the Gupta Group Alliance, including its financial arrangements with Greensill.
Nationalise
Another former Liberty subsidiary, Speciality Steels (UK) with works at four sites in South Yorkshire and the West Midlands went into liquidation last year. This September the government announced its intention to nationalise that business having failed to find a satisfactory buyer.
Trade unions welcomed the move at SSUK, but will want to see detailed plans to secure the strategic capacity and the jobs of 1,300 workers. The Newport workers will also want to know how the government intends to support the industry.