INFO COMMA 9 FEBRUARY 2019 - Pressure grows on Chris Grayling as Brexit ferry firm dumped

Pressure on Chris Grayling is growing after the government axed its Brexit no-deal contract with a ferry firm that has no ships.

The transport secretary awarded Seaborne Freight a £13.8m contract to ensure ferries kept crossing the Channel in the event that the UK leaves the EU without an exit agreement.

But that contract has been ripped up after Irish company Arklow Shipping, which had backed Seaborne Freight, stepped away from the deal.

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald told Sky News that Mr Grayling’s plan to have Seaborne provide services from Ramsgate to Ostend was “ridiculous”.

Political mishaps seem to follow 'failing Grayling'

The cancellation of a ferry contract over a potential no-deal Brexit is not a good look for the embattled transport secretary

He said: “This plan was never a runner. He’s wasted time and officials’ energy in pursuing something that was never ever capable of delivering and he’s been told time and time… again. He should go.”

Mr Grayling last month defended the decision to award Seaborne a contract, claiming it was “not a risk”.

This came after it emerged the firm copied its terms and conditions of business from the website of a takeaway.

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The government faced widespread criticism over the contract because the firm owned no vessels suitable for carrying goods or vehicles.

Labour’s call for Mr Grayling to quit over Seaborne is just the latest demand for his resignation during his two-and-a-half years as transport secretary.

A ramp in Ramsgate, where Seaborne Freight was due to dredge to prepare for a no-deal Brexit

Since his appointment in July 2016, he has been criticised for:

* Blocking a move by London mayor Sadiq Khan to take control of local train services, after telling Boris Johnson in a letter he would not put those services in “the clutches of a Labour mayor”

* Telling rail unions he wants to change how fare rises are determined – but also how employees’ wages are decided

* The overhaul of rail timetables which resulted in network chaos

* Failing to intervene in a long-lasting strike by workers on the Southern rail franchise that caused major disruption to thousands of commuters

* Delaying legislation on drones before the devices resulted in flights being suspended at Gatwick Airport
Presiding over a “rail catastrophe” due to delays and rising costs in the Crossrail scheme in London
Seeing the chair of the HS2 high speed rail project quit after admitting “nobody knows” how much it will end up costing

Mr Grayling has been accused of presiding over a 'rail catastrophe' because of Crossrail

Seaborne was one of three firms awarded contracts totalling £108m in late December to lay on additional crossings to ease the pressure on Dover when Britain leaves the EU.

A DfT spokeswoman said: “Following the decision of Seaborne Freight’s backer, Arklow Shipping, to step back from the deal, it became clear Seaborne would not reach its contractual requirements with the government. We have therefore decided to terminate our agreement.

“The government is already in advanced talks with a number of companies to secure additional freight capacity – including through the port of Ramsgate – in the event of a no-deal Brexit.”

Andy McDonald described the Seaborne contract as 'ridiculous'

The DfT said no taxpayer money had been transferred to the company before the contract was terminated.

Mr McDonald added: “This contract was never going to work but this secretary of state, true to form, blunders from one disaster to another.

“Whilst Theresa May needs the few friends she has right now, we cannot have this incompetent transport secretary carry on heaping humiliation after humiliation on our country.”

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Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said: “The whole exercise is a complete and utter shambles with the government ignoring union calls on what needs to happen.

“It’s time for Chris Grayling to stop attacking RMT and start listening to people who actually know what they are talking about instead of the chancers selling him a pile of old rope they don’t even own.”

TALK RADIO JANUARY 11 2019 - Maritime union protests over Chris Grayling's Brexit ferry contracts

A protest has been held outside the Department for Transport office to call for guarantees that new ferry services aimed at easing pressure on Dover after Brexit will be crewed by UK seafarers.

Contracts worth more than £100 million have been awarded to three firms to lay on additional crossings, including Seaborne Freight, even though the company has never run a Channel service.

* Read more: Eurotunnel challenges Transport Secretary Chris Grayling over “anti-competitive” behaviour with Brexit ferry contracts

* Read more: Transport secretary defends handing £14m ferry contract to company with no boats

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) demonstrated in London on Friday, calling for the ferries to comply with UK employment law and to be fully crewed with UK staff. 

MT general secretary Mick Cash said: "These are UK Government ferry contracts and the Government would be quite within their rights to insist they are protected by UK employment law and crewed with UK seafarers.

"There has been a barrage of publicity around the Government's Brexit ferry contracts and the union has written to both Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, who is in control of the arrangements, and the companies involved demanding basic assurances on UK ratings jobs, union recognition and full compliance with UK employment laws.

"RMT has no intention of allowing any backsliding, or any stitch-ups of UK seafarers, and that is why we are making our position public with the protest at the Department for Transport.

"We expect Chris Grayling and the companies he has contracted to meet our demands in full as a matter of urgency."

Seaborne's deal to run freight services from Ramsgate has been questioned as the company has never run a ferry service and does not own any ships. By Holly Pyne

CAROLINE ANSELL - CAROLINE LUCAS - CHARLES CLARKE - CHARLES HENDRY - CHRIS GRAYLING - DAVID BLUNKETT

DAVID CAMERON - DAVID MILIBAND - ERIC PICKLES - GEOFFREY JOHNSON-SMITH - GEORGE OSBORNE - GORDON BROWN

GREG CLARK - GREGORY BARKER - JACK STRAW - JOHN GUMMER - JOHN PRESCOTT - KENNETH CLARKE - KIM HOWELLS DR

MARGARET BECKETT - MARGARET THATCHER - MARIA CAULFIELD - NICK CLEGG - NORMAN BAKER - NUS GHANI - PATRICIA HEWITT

PHILIP DUNNE - PHILIP HAMMOND - SAJID JAVID - STEPHEN LLOYD - TERESA MAY - TESSA JOWELL - TONY BLAIR - VINCE CABLE

MARITIME 2050

Is this another Chris Grayling sell out. Does he have the slightest idea of what to do and how to achieve it, or will his Government simply throw their balls in the air and hope that some bright spark comes to the rescue.

International shipping is responsible for 2.2% of global CO2 emissions. (Third Greenhouse Gas Study, IMO) If the sector is to adhere to limiting global average temperature warming to below 2oC, as set out in the Paris Agreement, it has a responsibility to abide by and promote initiatives to reduce environmental impacts.

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