DIPLOMACY, including what appears to be a rebuke from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to one of his senior ministers, appears to have spared the government embarrassment over a billion pound investment in Thurrock. 

Details of the investment by DP World at its London Gateway port and logistics park are set to be the centrepiece of a government economic summit due to take place tomorrow (Monday, 14 October).

On Friday (11 October), Nub News reported that the Dubai-based trading giant was threatening to boycott the summit because of comments about the employment policies of one of its subsidiaries, P&O Ferries.

P&O Ferries caused a furore among Labour and union members last year when it cut 800 jobs at short notice. 

In the past week Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and transport minister Louise Haigh announced new protections for seafarers, and ended what they said was a loophole used by P&O Ferries and delivered a damning critique of the company's employment policies. 

That sparked anger within DP World and it was reported that its chairman, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, was considering pulling out of his planned attendance at the summit. 

However, Sir Keir Starmer stepped up in an apparent bid to calm troubled waters and publicly rebuked Ms Haigh, who had said she had boycotted P&O Ferries in recent years and would encourage others to do so, after the firm sacked workers in 2022 and replaced them with lower-paid agency staff.

The transport secretary also described P&O Ferries as a "rogue operator".

But when quizzed by the BBC yesterday is Ms Haigh was correct in her opinion, Sir Keir said: "That's not the view of the government."

A Downing Street spokesperson told the BBC: "We welcome P&O Ferries' commitment to comply with our new seafarer's legislation, which protects against damaging fire and rehire practices".

It said it was continuing to "work closely" with DP World.

In turn that prompted a statement from DP World, which had previously not commented publicly on the furore, which said: "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."