DP World: Talks over £1bn UK port expansion ongoing after row

Discussions about a London port expansion worth £1bn are ongoing as the government tries to resolve a row with the investor.

DP World planned to reveal the expansion of its London Gateway port, which it said would create hundreds of jobs, at the government’s investment summit next week.

However, reports suggested the plan was at risk after Transport Secretary Louise Haigh criticised P&O Ferries, which is part of DP World, for its treatment of staff.

Downing Street has now distanced itself from those comments as it tries to resolve the spat.

The disagreement began after Ms Haigh told ITV earlier this week that P&O was a “rogue operator” after it sacked nearly 800 seafarers in 2022 and replaced them with cheaper workers.

DP World insisted the move was needed for the survival of the ferry operator and to secure thousands of jobs.

A Downing Street spokesperson told the BBC on Friday afternoon that Ms Haigh’s comments “do not reflect the views of this government”.

“We welcome P&O Ferries commitment to comply with our new seafarer’s legislation, which protects against damaging fire and rehire practices,” the spokesperson added.

It said it was continuing to “work closely” with DP World, which also owns Southampton Port.

On Monday, the UK is hosting its International Investment Summit, where ministers will try to attract billions of pounds of investment.

The spokesperson said it would “bring together hundreds of global firms to show Britain is open for business.”

DP World declined to comment on the reports that the London Gateway investment was under review due to Ms Haigh’s comments.