‘We had conversation’ with P&O Ferries owner, says minister, after criticism ‘put £1bn investment under review’

Published

1 year ago

October 13, 2024

admin

The government had to “have a conversation” in order to secure the landmark DP World investment announcement that was reportedly derailed by comments from the transport secretary.

Appearing on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds was asked how close the government came to losing the £1bn commitment in the London Gateway port.

Mr Reynolds said: “Look, we’ve had to have a conversation following some of the press reports.”

Politics latest: Minister quizzed on why Musk isn’t invited to investment summit

The £1bn pledge by the Dubai-based firm DP World – which owns P&O Ferries – was thrown into jeopardy after Transport Secretary Louise Haigh branded the shipping company a “rogue operator” and said consumers should boycott it.

In March 2022, P&O Ferries caused huge controversy by sacking 800 British seafarers and replacing them with cheaper, largely foreign workers, a move it said was required to prevent the company from collapsing.

Sky News revealed on Friday that the £1bn investment announcement was under review – before it was revealed yesterday that it would go ahead as planned.

Asked if the announcement – set to be the landmark pledge of the coming week’s investment summit – was almost pulled, Mr Reynolds would only say that it is now “going ahead”.

The minister was also questioned about why Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk was not going to be present at the government’s investment summit.

Pushed repeatedly about the reason for the world’s richest man’s non-attendance, Mr Reynolds said he would not comment on a “specific person”, but said the gathering was about “who can bring the kind of investments that will make the biggest difference” – before adding that “not everyone can come”.

Asked about the decision on the London Gateway port on Saturday, a DP World spokesperson told Sky News: “Following constructive and positive discussions with the government, we have been given the clarity we need. We look forward to participating in Monday’s International Investment Summit.”

The investment summit was announced in August, although it’s timing has been questioned due to it taking place before the budget on 30 October.

While in opposition, Labour pledged to hold the event within the first 100 days of government – forcing their hand on the sequence of events after that deadline fell on Saturday.

When the summit was confirmed, the government claimed “up to 300 industry leaders” would be involved to “catalyse investment in the UK”.

👉 Click here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈

Reports over the summer suggested that Musk was not invited due to his controversial social media posts.

During the riots in the UK in the wake of the Southport stabbings, Musk regularly criticised Sir Keir Starmer on the billionaire’s social media platform X.

Politics

David Lammy blames ‘human error’ for release of migrant sex offender – as confirms independent investigation

Published

6 hours ago

October 28, 2025

admin

David Lammy blames 'human error' for release of migrant sex offender - as confirms independent investigation

David Lammy has confirmed there will be an independent investigation into the accidental release of a migrant jailed for sex offences, as he blamed “human error” for the incident.

The deputy prime minister and justice secretary told MPs he was “livid” on behalf of Hadush Kebatu’s victims and he would be deported back to Ethiopia “as quickly as possible”.

Politics latest: Epping MP calls on Lammy to commit to closing the Bell Hotel

Kebatu, who was found guilty in September of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, was freed in error from HMP Chelmsford in Essex on Friday instead of being handed over to immigration officials for deportation.

His accidental release sparked widespread alarm and a manhunt that resulted in him being found and arrested by the Metropolitan Police in the Finsbury Park area of London at around 8.30am on Sunday.

The incident has sparked questions over how the man, whose crimes sparked protests in Epping over the use of asylum hotels, was able to be freed.

Addressing MPs in the House of Commons, Mr Lammy said the mistake should not have happened as he sought to lay part of the blame on to the Conservatives over the state of the prison system over the past 14 years.

He said “there must and there will be accountability” for the mistaken release of Kebatu from prison.

“I’ve been clear from the outset that a mistake of this nature is unacceptable,” he said.

“We must get to the bottom of what happened and take immediate action to try and prevent similar releases in error to protect the public from harm.”

Mr Lammy said he ordered an “urgent review” into the checks that take place when an offender is released from prison, and new safeguards have been added that amount to the “strongest release checks that have ever been in place”.

The justice secretary said the investigation would be led by former Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens, who also used to lead the National Crime Agency.

He also said the investigation would have the same status as high-profile probes into other prison incidents, including the attack on three prison officers at HMP Franklin in April of this year and the escape of Daniel Khalife from HMP Wandsworth in 2023.

‘Calamity Lammy’

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick referred to a report by Sky News which detailed how a witness present at the prison observed Kebatu appearing “confused” upon his release.

The witness said Kebatu had in fact tried to go back into the prison several times, but was instead guided to Chelmsford station, where he caught a train to London.

Mr Jenrick claimed the case was proof “the only illegal migrants this government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK”.

“Dear oh dear,” he said. “Where to begin? This justice secretary could not deport the only small boat migrant who wanted – no – who tried to be deported.

“Having been mistakenly released, Hadush Kebatu came back to prison asking to be deported not once, not twice, but five times, but he was turned away.”

He went on: “The only illegal migrants this government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK.

“His officials, briefing the press, called it the mother of all – yeah, they’re not wrong, are they?”

Mr Jenrick, who served as immigration minister under the previous Conservative government, branded his opposite number “calamity Lammy”.

“It’s a national embarrassment and today the justice secretary feigns anger at what happened.”

Continuing with his attack, Mr Jenrick asked Mr Lammy whether he would resign if Kebatu was not deported “by the end of the week” – to which he received no reply.

But asked later by an MP whether he was considering his position, Mr Lammy replied: “A ridiculous question, the answer is no.”

The new checks announced by Mr Lammy on Monday involve five pages of instructions and require more senior prison staff to sign off a release, according to documents obtained by Sky News.

The instructions are effective from Monday.