Thousands of jobs could be at risk as lender of Liberty Steel files for administration

Lawyers for Greensill Capital, which counts David Cameron among its advisers, appeared in court on Monday to appoint administrators from Grant Thornton.

The lender has “fallen into severe financial distress,” according to its lawyers and had no way of repaying a 140 US dollar (£101 million) loan to Credit Suisse, the Financial Times reported.

Greensill lends money to businesses so they can pay their suppliers and one of its major customers is Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance, which owns Liberty Steel

A Labour MP has said it is a ‘very worrying time for Liberty Steel workers’ as she calls for the Government to act.

Mr Gupta’s business empire employs around 5,000 people in the UK, a majority of whom work for Liberty Steel.

Often labelled the “saviour of steel”, the businessman has snapped up a series of production sites across the UK which had been under pressure from cheap overseas competition.

Liberty Steel, which owns 12 plants, acquired the Hartlepool steel pipe mills, which manufacture pipeline for the international oil and gas industry, from Tata Steel in the summer of 2017.

The steel mills had faced closure and in 2017 Liberty said its takeover of the Hartlepool plant saved 140 jobs – and the new owners had looked to employ an additional 100 workers.

Liberty owners have faced pressure and has relied on Greensill for around five billion dollars (£3.6 billion) worth of funding used to pay its suppliers.

A spokesperson for GFG Alliance said: “Our operations are running as normal and our core businesses continue to benefit from strong market conditions generating robust sales and cash flows.

“Our operational efficiency programme has improved profitability and we are making progress in our discussions with financial institutions that can help diversify our funding. We are keeping our employees up to date and will provide further updates as we deliver our plans.”

Greensill Capital is expected to be in part bought in a pre-pack deal by Apollo Global Management, with news due within the next couple of days.

However the Apollo deal will not include Greensill’s exposure to GFG Alliance.

Labour shadow minister for business and consumer Lucy Powell said: “This is a deeply concerning situation, and a very worrying time for Liberty Steel workers.”

She added: “It’s vital that the Government acts with the urgency required and doesn’t wash their hands of the situation.

“As we’ve argued through the pandemic, the Government should do more to support British steel and the UK manufacturers who are their customers.

“Instead they have been ignored, without even one reference in the Budget, threatening jobs and weakening the foundations of our economy.”

A spokesperson for trade union Community said: “Sanjeev Gupta needs to tell us exactly what the administration means for Liberty’s UK businesses and how he plans to protect jobs.

“The future of Liberty’s strategic steel assets must be secured and we are ready to work with all stakeholders to find a solution.”

Support your Mail and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on Pools and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.