P&O proprietor to attend summit regardless of row over Louise Haigh’s feedback | EUROtoday

P&O Ferries proprietor, DP World, will now attend the federal government’s funding summit on Monday, regardless of a row over a minister’s criticism of the agency.

It had been feared they could pull out from the summit – the place they have been anticipated to announce a £1bn funding – after Transport Secretary Louise Haigh criticised the ferry agency and urged customers to boycott the corporate.

An enlargement of the agency’s London Gateway port, in Essex, is more likely to go forward, though it’s unclear if this will likely be introduced on the summit.

Whitehall sources stated on Saturday that there had been “warm engagement” between senior figures within the agency and the federal government since Sir Keir Starmer distanced himself from his minister’s remarks.

The authorities is internet hosting the International Investment Summit, the place it hopes to draw billions of kilos of funding.

Speaking to the BBC on Friday, Sir Keir stated Haigh’s feedback have been “not the view of the government”.

The prime minister is known to not have been instantly concerned in talks with DP World, nor has he personally spoken to Haigh about her remarks.

The row began after Haigh described P&O as a “rogue operator” in an interview with ITV on Wednesday, after it sacked almost 800 seafarers in 2022 and changed them with cheaper staff.

Asked whether or not she used the ferry service, she stated: “I’ve been boycotting P&O Ferries for two-and-a-half years and I would encourage consumers to do the same.”

DP World insisted the transfer was wanted for the survival of the ferry operator and to safe hundreds of jobs.

Haigh’s feedback within the interview coincided with the Department for Transport saying new laws aimed toward defending seafarers from what it described as “rogue employers”.

In that announcement, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was quoted calling P&O Ferries’ prior actions “outrageous”.

The row has uncovered a stress between the brand new authorities’s need to draw enterprise and strengthen staff’ rights.

The authorities beforehand indicated that it was in talks with DP World about its involvement within the summit.

DP World has stated the enlargement of the London Gateway port would convey Thurrock a whole lot of jobs.