In https://ffrancsais.blogspot.com/2022/03/p-is-not-above-law.html I raised the question as to whether shipping minister Robert Courts' display of shock and anger at the sudden sackings by P&O was genuine. The jury is still out on that, but it is now clear that several people in the ministry were aware of the company's plans. This afternoon, in her introductory speech to her motion condemning the mass dismissals, Louise Haigh MP said:
What is important is that we now know that the Government had the opportunity to stop this before it happened. They knew before the workers what P&O had planned. I can inform the House that I have come into possession of a memo that was circulated to the Transport Secretary, his private office and, we are told, 10 Downing Street. For the benefit of Members, I am happy to lodge it in the House of Commons Library.
This memo was no vague outline; it was the game plan of P&O. I can reveal to the House that it not only makes it clear that the Government were made aware that 800 seafarers were to be sacked, but explicitly endorses the thuggish fire and rehire tactics that P&O had clearly discussed with the Department ahead of Thursday. There is nothing in this memo at all that expresses any concern, any opposition or raises any alarm about the sacking of 800 loyal British workers. This is the clearest proof that the Government’s first instinct was to do absolutely nothing. There is no use Government Members wringing their hands now; it is here in black and white, and I will happily lodge it in the Library, Mr Speaker, for the benefit of Opposition Members when they are considering how to vote tonight.
Replying to the debate, transport minister Grant Shapps said he had been made aware of the plans at 8:30 p.m. on the night before P&O's action, but had not seen the memo at that time. It remains to be seen which ministers did actually read it and when.
[updated 2022-03-22]
1 comment:
It seems that the Department of Transport had less time to react than Ms Haigh implied. In the Lords yesterday, Baroness Vere confirmed that the memo in question was issued on the afternoon of the 16th March. That was on the eve of the sackings at a time when ministers were no doubt already otherwise engaged. Even allowing for that, though, one would have thought that the DoT's private office would have realised the implications and alerted all the ministers they could contact, at least before the 6 o'clock news broadcasts.
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