Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was warned about P&O 'challenges' in a meeting last year, but was not told about staff redundancies.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was warned about a "new low-cost competitor" which would present "challenges" to P&O Ferries, in a meeting with the boss of the firm's parent company last year.Minutes of a meeting between Mr Shapps and the chief executive of DP World, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, last year showed Mr Shapps was told Irish Ferries would pose "challenges in respect of P&O’s operations".
Mr Shapps insists he wasn't aware of P&O's decision to lay off their staff via video call until he was at the dispatch box in the House of Commons.He said the company was trying to "distract attention" by claiming he knew of the plans in a meeting last year. Mr Shapps added he was unaware of the extent of P&O's actions until he was stood in the House of Commons. He said: "I was actually stood at the despatch box on Thursday when news started to come out about it.
It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson supported the Transport Secretary's calls for P&O ferries Chief Executive Peter Hebblethwaite to step-down. Mr Hebblethwaite oversaw the sacking of over 800 members of staff without notice, and admitted to breaking employment law in front of a hearing of MPs on Thursday.
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