Employment Change in UK Steel Closure Areas During the 1980s: Policy Implications and Lessons for Scotland

HUDSON R., SADLER D. and TOWNSEND A. (1992) Employment change in UK steel closure areas during the 1980s: policy implications and lessons for Scotland, Reg. Studies 26, 633–646. The latest phase in the contraction of UK steel production has involved a continued challenge to the future of the industry in Scotland, culminating in British Steel's decision to close its Ravenscraig works there in 1992. The impact of other steel closures within the UK from the late 1970s onwards was partly cushioned by policies using financial and other incentives to encourage new business creation, and similar measures have been advocated as the solution to Lanarkshire's economic crisis. This analysis takes a detailed look at the implications for Scotland and elsewhere of such re-industrialization strategies. It begins by describing the final stages of steel's demise in Scotland, identifying how this contributed to the particular framework for and attitude towards re-industrialization. Then it considers the record of employmen...