THE Member of Parliament for Oxford East has demanded that parliament be recalled over the steel crisis currently threatening the UK.

Andrew Smith, who lives in Blackbird Leys, joined calls by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for an urgent debate to be held after Tata Steel's decision to sell its UK business, which directly employs 15,000 workers and supports thousands of others in plants such as Port Talbot, Rotherham, Corby and Shotton.

So far more than 110,000 people have signed an e-petition calling on David Cameron to take immediate action.

Mr Smith said: "“Steel faces real crisis and is a major strategic industry affecting many thousands of jobs.

"Parliament should definitely be recalled so the government can be held to account."

It has also been argued that part of the industry could be re-nationalised as part of a long-term solution, although the Prime Minister has said it was "not the solution".

Mr Smith has also backed the idea, however, saying: "The government should take a public stake in the industry if that’s what it takes to enable it to survive.

"Other countries have acted to safeguard their steel industries. We need to do the same.”