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THE UK GOVERNMENT has terminated a contract with Seaborne Freight after it emerged that the company had no ships.
The UK government put out contracts to operate ferries in a no-deal Brexit scenario worth £103 million; Seaborne Freight was awarded a £13.8 million contract.
It later emerged that Seaborne Freight was without ships, and had terms and conditions on its website were copied and pasted from a food delivery firm.
This morning, the Daily Telegraph first reported that the contract was terminated by the UK government after an Irish company that was backing Seaborne Freight withdrew from the deal.
A Department for Transport spokeswoman told the Press Association:
“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 with the government. We have therefore decided to terminate our agreement.
The government is already in advanced talks with a number of companies to secure additional freight capacity – including through the port of Ramsgate – in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Telegraph that the Irish government should confirm that it hadn’t intervened in the incident, or “obstructed” the UK’s no-deal Brexit plans.
Arklow Shipping and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have both been contacted for comment.
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Could someone get it into Rees-Mogg’s thick head that if there was contact between the Irish Government and an Irish company (which is highly unlikely in this case) it is none of his business!!
@Deaglan Macgiollaphadraig: He wants chaos as he will make a lot of money from it.
@Vincent #SaveDaredevil: He’s actually no different from Trump when it comes to peddling unmitigated crap. He’s under pressure and mumbled something about an Article 24 and now all the Brexit gammons are swearing by it. Article 24 is of no use to them whatsoever.
The buffoons are running unsupervised in Westminster. It’s unreal how much damage they have caused and will cause.
@Deaglan Macgiollaphadraig: to be honest, if the company had no ships and copied it’s terms from a food delivery company Rees-Moggs should be grateful if the Irish Government got involved
@Deaglan Macgiollaphadraig: He certainly has a thick head but this comment of his is just for mischief as they seek to make the Irish Government the scapegoat for the Tory led calamity. So it’s quite deliberate and deflects the spotlight away .
@Paul Furey: People don’t forget one small thing. Not once but twice there would have been no Europe without Britain standing and dying against them murdering jackals the Germans.My grandfather was killed by a German in a pow camp all because he was trying to stop a German killing a polish guy who was just looking for food. So people don’t be sucked in by Europe they don’t give a shit about us.
@sean slipper: Sicily, 1942…
@EdmundOrlando: What about it. Operation Husky was part of the whole war witch without Britain there would be no Ireland. Hitler would have used Ireland as a forest for his experiments. Silly Irish politicians can’t see the sun for the trees. Just wait and see.
@sean slipper: oh dear! Absolutely re WWII – total German aggression funded by US companies – WW1 bit more complicated – you could start with Rhodes and his plans to get the Germans into a war as they threatened the British empire – as for “Europe” not caring about us – we are all EUROPE you nitwit – so we all share the blame for its actions – and by the way the British empire was one of the most evil to ever exist
@sean slipper: Build a bridge Sean
And this was the pinnacle of their preparation. Given that Raab had no idea that Dover was an important place for import/export, it’s not surprising that they didn’t realise that a shipping company needed ships.
@Anne Marie Devlin: lol you just couldn’t make it up.
Headless chickens..
Typical JRM, it’s always someone else’s fault. The fiasco that is the unicorn brexit, is the gift that keeps on giving. Unfortunately for us, it’s not a joke.
Please bring back the thumbs down button PLEASE
This looks like Teresa May isnt a big fan of the auld seamen!!!!!!
@BAAB: Didn’t see that coming
Can Ireland and Britain not have a standalone trade agreement.. generally wondering could Ireland be given special circumstances with Britain
@Bulmer Hobson: no, because we’re in the EU.
@Bulmer Hobson: no. EU does trade deals on behalf of its member states.
@TradingDuck: I know that but could we not say to eu look it’s going to undermine the peace process … as a nation Ireland will lose the most and once the eu fishing ships get the boot they will go to our waters so as a compromise can we agree on a standalone trade agreement with Britain
@Bulmer Hobson: please stop being silly.
@Bulmer Hobson: Ireland should do a standalone deal. It should read fcuk right off.
Whatever deal the eu does with uk will be far better than what our muppets could manage.
@Markonline:
Now that we can agree on!!
@Bulmer Hobson: A standalone agreement with the UK would be a very unfair trading advantage for us over other EU member states. It would also mean they could slide their goods into the whole eu via Ireland thus meaning there was no repercussion for leaving.
@Bulmer Hobson: Where have you been the last 2 years. EU trade deals for all members has been one of the central issues. You’re acting like a British MP now.
@Paul Furey: True, all true, we do exactly what the EU tell us to do, we are weak.
A boat company with no boats won the contract.
Gotta up there with Bertie ahern having no bank account.
I wonder if we will ever see a car dealership without any cars…
It’s alright for the British government to play games but no one else. That mogg muppet is a throwback to times long gone by.He’ll be forgotten in a heartbeat
@sean slipper: he set up a company in Dublin in the last year, a consultancy firm that is advising on how to profit from Brexit,these die hard brexiteer politicians are lining things up to feather their and their cronies nest,and 60mil people will suffer for it
Does this carry the hawlmarks of good old Irish begrudery? Disruptive, but destined to fail.
If so, one wonders who is advising An Taoiseach?
This news is just breaking today.
Rees Mogs should realize his Government can’t tell Ireland what to do anymore
have your say