Prime Minister denies attack on city steel boss

0 Comments | Star (Sheffield) (Sheffield, England), The, July 9, 2010

Penistone and Stocksbridge Labour MP Angela Smith accused cabinet ministers of making ‘personal, unwarranted attacks’ on Dr Graham Honeyman.

Her broadside, during Prime Minister’s questions, raises the temperature even further on the row which has raged since the coalition axed an A[pounds sterling]80 million package of loans for the steel manufacturing firm.

The support had been agreed by the former Labour Government to help turn Forgemasters into a world leader in the construction of the large scale components needed in the next generation of nuclear reactors.

Deputy Prime Minister and Sheffield Hallam MP Nick Clegg claims the company had only sought the public funding because the lending terms from banks were ‘not good enough and because they did not want to dilute their own shareholdings in the company’.

And Mr Cameron has told MPs there were concerns the company’s set-up meant one man stood to be the main beneficiary – managing director Graham Honeyman.

Ms Smith said: “The chief executive of Sheffield Forgemasters, Dr Graham Honeyman, was last year presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Institute of Directors. And yet various members of the Government front bench have made personal, unwarranted attacks on him in the media.

“Will you apologise now for these unjustified attacks made on a highly regarded businessman?”

Mr Cameron said: “No one has made an attack. This is an excellent company, this is an excellent business
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