Failing Grayling costs taxpayers £33m after bungling Brexit ferry contracts
CHRIS Grayling is again facing calls to resign after taxpayers were landed with a £ 33million bill to settle a lawsuit over bungled Brexit ferry contracts.
Eurotunnel yesterday agreed to drop its claim over the ‘secretive’ way the Government awarded lucrative deals for ferry companies to run extra crossings in case of a No Deal.
Transport Secretary Mr Grayling had already been left red-faced after the collapse of a £13.8million contract with one ferry firm, Seaborne Freight, after it emerged that it had no ships.
His allies last night insisted it was ‘unfair’ to single him out for criticism as the contract had been decided on a ‘cross-government’ basis.
Ninety per cent of the extra cross-Channel capacity is needed to ensure medical supplies continue under a No Deal, making it politically impossible for ministers to risk a court defeat.
Downing Street said some of the money handed to Eurotunnel would be used to ‘ improve traffic flow’ through the Channel Tunnel.
Sources at the Department for Transport said an ‘accelerated’ procurement process had been needed because the Cabinet did not agree to step up no-deal planning until October and the Treasury did not release
‘Serial failure and routine incompetence’
the cash until the following month. But the payment to Eurotunnel is a fresh embarrassment for the Transport Secretary, dubbed Failing Grayling following his involvement in a string of botched policies.
A damning report published on the same day revealed the scrapping of probation service reforms he introduced as justice secretary would cost nearly half a billion pounds.
No 10 was yesterday forced to put out a statement saying Theresa May still had confidence in Mr Grayling.
But Opposition MPs accused him of ‘serial failure and routine incompetence’ that would see him sacked in any other job outside politics.
Late last year, the Government awarded contracts worth £108million to three suppliers for extra freight capacity so vital supplies could still reach the UK in a No Deal Brexit.
But last month, the Department for Transport was ridiculed after it terminated the deal with Seaborne Freight. Eurotunnel accused ministers of a ‘ distortionary and anti- competitive’ tendering process and claimed it was given no chance to compete.
Hours before the case was due to start yesterday, the Government said it had paid the firm £33million to settle out of court. Mr Grayling put a positive spin on the deal, saying it would ensure the Channel Tunnel is ‘ready for a post-Brexit world’.
However he immediately faced calls to quit. Labour transport spokesman Andy McDonald said: ‘In any other sphere of life he would have been sacked long ago.’ Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake said: ‘Either he should resign or Theresa May must sack him.’ But Health Secretary Matt Hancock defended him, saying: ‘It is very important that ... we can have this unhindered supply of medicines.’
No 10 stressed there was no attempt to hide details of the saga from the public, and added: ‘The Transport Secretary is leading his department through some very important projects.’
Britain will have to hold European elections if it delays Brexit by more than three months or face being sued, German MPs warn. They say 3million EU citizens here would have their right to vote in the elections violated if Britain does not participate.