ROLL ON.. ROLL ON....BOG OFF

Grayling told to quit after no-deal ‘ferry’ firm deal collapse

BUNGLING Transport Minister Chris Grayling should quit over his latest disaster – after a Brexit ferry contract, awarded to a firm with NO ships, was cancelled.

The hapless Secretary of State, who has a string of gaffes under his belt, gave the £13.8million deal to Seaborne Freight to run services between Ramsgate and Ostend, in the event of a no-deal.

Despite widespread criticism, he insisted it was “not a risk”. But ithe deal collapsed after Seaborne’s financial backers pulled out.

Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Andy McDonald said: “This cannot go without consequence.

“The Chris Grayling catalogue of calamities grows bigger by the day. This contract was never going to work but this Secretary of State just blunders from one disaster to another.

“We can’t have this incompetent Transport Secretary carrying on heaping humiliation after humiliation on our country. He has to go.”

Labour also described Mr Grayling as: “The worst secretary of state ever.”

Seaborne, which had never run a Channel service, was one of three companies awarded contracts worth £108million to ease pressure on Dover when Britain leaves the EU.

A Department for Transport 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.

“We have therefore decided to terminate our agreement.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn raised the “ludicrous situation” in a speech in Coventry, saying: “Chris Grayling the Transport Secretary claimed the Government had ‘looked very carefully’ at Seaborne Freight before giving the company the contract – but apparently not carefully enough to notice that it didn’t have any ships.”

Mr Grayling has also been criticised for the Gatwick drone fiasco and problems with Crossrail and HS2. While at Justice, he tried to ban books for prisoners and cut their legal aid.