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Jeremy Corbyn has met stricken steelworkers in Port Talbot as 30,000 people in three hours signed his petition to recall Parliament.

The Labour leader rallied staff in a small social club after travelling to the South Wales town straight from his cut-short Westcountry holiday.

Business Secretary Sajid Javid is also travelling to Britain's biggest steel plant - from a trade mission in New South Wales, Australia.

But Downing Street has refused to force MPs back from their holidays, despite a huge tide of people signing a bid to recall Parliament over the crisis.

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Mr Corbyn started the petition after Indian steel giant Tata announced it was selling its UK assets including the 4,000-worker plant at Port Talbot.

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That will mean 15,000 potential job losses and another 25,000 down the supply chain if no buyer is found, the IPPR think tank warned.

The petition was still climbing this evening at nearly 10,000 signatures an hour - though ironically, Parliament would have to be recalled to discuss it.

Mr Corbyn echoed his earlier call for a state buyout as he addressed workers this afternoon.

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He said: "We need immediate government intervention to protect our steel industry and not see it destroyed on the altar of global corporations that decided somewhere along the line Port Talbot is expendable.

"Sorry, it's not. We've got a different story and that's why I'm here today."

The Labour leader added: "We are saving an industry that will provide the basis of all the goods that we all need.

(Image: Getty Images)

"What is made in Port Talbot, ends up in everything we use. It ends up in every can of drink we get, tin can, every food we eat from a can, and many, many other things come from that.

"The railways of this country are made from steel in this country.

"So the last point I would make is this, we also need a government that is prepared to intervene and say that there should be strategic procurement of steel from steelworks in Britain for the railways, the bridges, the buildings, and all the other things that we are constructing in this country."

(Image: Getty Images)

The Business Secretary will return from New South Wales to South Wales within hours - but sunkissed David Cameron is refusing to recall Parliament.

Sajid Javid angered campaigners by flying out for a trade mission at the same time as a crunch meeting decided the future of British steel.

His touchdown in Sydney was marred within minutes as the news was confirmed from the meeting of Tata's board members in Mumbai.

(Image: PA)

A source at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills suggested Mr Javid had considered flying back the moment he arrived.

However he maintained meetings with Australian leaders, including the country's Prime Minister, before "consolidating" the less urgent items at the end of his schedule.

Business minister Anna Soubry said today 'temporary ownership' of Tata steel's assets could be an option.

(Image: Getty)

But she was shot down by her boss Mr Javid, who told journalists in Australia he did not think nationalisation was "the solution".

He said: "At this stage, given the announcement from Tata has just come out, it's important I think we talk to them properly and understand the exact situation and we look at all viable options.

"I don't think nationalisation is going to be the solution because I think everyone would want a long-term viable solution.

"And if you look around Europe and elsewhere I think nationalisation is rarely the answer, particularly if you take into account the big challenges the industry faces."