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Can anyone save the steelworks in Redcar?

The local MP, Vera Baird, isn't giving up hope.

She told the Politics Show that every effort should be made to find a buyer for the site, or a customer prepared to place an order.

She also revealed that she'd offered to pursue some form of Government subsidy for Redcar, similar to Wales' Pro Act scheme, in order to avoid job losses.

Workers would have lost one day a week, but for two days they could have been paid by Corus, and for another two trained at Government expense.

But Corus turned her down, and decided to announce the mothballing of the blast furnace and the loss of the 1,700 jobs.

at a site which has no orders beyond the end of the month.

They also had a potential buyer withdraw last week, so presumably that company also decided it wasn't prepared to take on the risks at the moment.

Of course the politicians would hope Corus might have considered before deciding to cut them loose.

But this is a world where Britain's steel industry is owned by an Indian multinational, and sentiment plays no part in their decision-making.

Will there be political consequences from this in Redcar?

, and although the unions have been critical of the Government, they've largely appreciated the efforts of Vera Baird.

And there was also precious little in the way of genuine alternative ideas from the two Opposition politicians on the Politics Show today.

Nevertheless, the workforce are angry, and if no solution is found, they may choose to lash out in the only way they can, by refusing to vote for the Government.

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Some Labour selection news.

has been picked as their prospective parliamentary candidate in Darlington.

The 36-year-old mother of two also runs a . She hopes to succeed Alan Milburn as the town's MP.

The Moss Week:

Watching: The Wire. I've finally got to the last episode, which I'm anticipating with relish. Just wish Britain could come up with a drama as complex and as brilliant.

Listening to: the December 3 edition of Radio 3's Night Waves. A debate about the future of men recorded in Gateshead at the Free Thinking Festival. The presenter will go far, I predict.

Clicking on: Shopping sites, Christmas is looming, but so far I've managed to avoid the melee, though I fear I will have to do some physical rather than virtual shopping at some point.

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