UK tries to resolve row threatening £1bn port expansion

Discussions astir a London larboard enlargement worthy £1bn are ongoing arsenic the authorities tries to resoluteness a enactment with the investor.

DP World planned to uncover the enlargement of its London Gateway port, which it said would make hundreds of jobs, astatine the government's concern acme adjacent week.

However, reports suggested the program was astatine hazard aft Transport Secretary Louise Haigh criticised P&O Ferries, which is portion of DP World, for its attraction of staff.

Downing Street has present distanced itself from those comments arsenic it tries to resoluteness the spat.

The disagreement began aft Ms Haigh told ITV earlier this week that P&O was a "rogue operator" aft it sacked astir 800 seafarers successful 2022 and replaced them with cheaper workers.

DP World insisted the determination was needed for the endurance of the ferry relation and to unafraid thousands of jobs.

A Downing Street spokesperson told the BBC connected Friday day that Ms Haigh's comments "do not bespeak the views of this government".

"We invited P&O Ferries committedness to comply with our caller seafarer’s legislation, which protects against damaging occurrence and rehire practices," the spokesperson added.

It said it was continuing to "work closely" with DP World, which besides owns Southampton Port.

On Monday, the UK is hosting its International Investment Summit, wherever ministers volition effort to pull billions of pounds of investment.

The spokesperson said it would "bring unneurotic hundreds of planetary firms to amusement Britain is unfastened for business.”

DP World declined to remark connected the reports that the London Gateway concern was nether reappraisal owed to Ms Haigh's comments.

The concern acme is owed to instrumentality spot up of the Budget, with the authorities signalling it volition marque immoderate ample investments.

Many person taken arsenic a hint that it volition unbend its ain self-imposed spending rules, arsenic it looks to boost the economy.

It is keen to beforehand the UK arsenic a unchangeable and reliable concern destination for planetary firms aft the accelerated churn of premier ministers, chancellors and concern secretaries since 2016.

However, this is besides not the archetypal clip determination has been contention surrounding the summit.

Last month, the world's richest person, Elon Musk, deed backmost aft not being invited. This was owed to his societal media posts during the August riots, the BBC understands.