Pablo- Registered: 21 Mar 2018
- Posts: 614
The son of a friend of ours was a junior lawyer with them before joining Rothschilds. His name is Jonathan Slaughter.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,982
What a small world
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
News release from Planet Thanet Labour group.
Ramsgate Port Brexit shambles.
Thanet Labour councillors are extremely concerned that the budget was withdrawn from the agenda at Thanet District Council at the very last minute. The expectation was that the Seaborne contract, would have been signed. Or not. Labour Group leader Cllr Jenny Matterface explains, ‘We operate in good faith and expect our most important councils’ meetings, including this budget setting meeting, to go ahead as planned. We’ve been pressing for a clear plan for the Port and we’d be delighted if the contract was signed as it would mean some additional jobs in Thanet and would safeguard exist employment. It’s frankly outrageous that no one knows the contents of the ‘secret’ phone call between Bob Bayford and Chris Grayling’.
Whilst the announcement was totally unexpected, there is also consternation that so many UKIP councillors, including Group leader Cllr Chris Wells and two of his shadow cabinet who form the official opposition, failed to attend with only three from a group of fourteen there. Labour Cllr Karen Constantine put a number of questions to Conservative Leader Cllr Bob Bayford after the meeting.
‘Is this an open ended process?’ ‘When will these negotiations be concluded?’ ‘Who is actually managing the process of dealing with the contracts, is that TDC staff or DfT?’
Cllr Constantine explains, ‘It’s frankly astonishing that the budget meeting has been cancelled at this late stage, at Chris Grayling’s request. Is Mr Grayling running the council now? At an absolute minimum I would have expected an explanatory statement from Mr Grayling that should have contained a clear outline of his plans to move forward and an apology for the disruption to all the Councillors and more importantly to Thanet residents. The whole process is shrouded in mystery. The lack of transparency is astounding and was a complete slap in the face for locals when Chris Grayling promised £14m to a private sector profiteers whilst the real needs of Thanet are ignored. It’s contempt’. She added, ‘It appears to us that Bob Bayford has relinquished control and that Chris Grayling is now running the council to prop up the failing Brexit plans. Meanwhile Thanet residents foot the bill’. Thanet Labour Group is calling for full disclosure of the ‘secret’ phone call, a clear plan to move forward, and for the Government genuinely to invest in Ramsgate and the rest of Thanet. The decades of neglect need to end.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
I have seen this before on my tv, its called interference.
ray hutstone- Registered: 1 Apr 2018
- Posts: 2,158
I'm no great fan of Diane Abbott but compared to Grayling she could pass as another Einstein.
Ostend continue to state that guarantees have not been met. Eurotunnel is preparing to sue and the port of Calais seethes with indignation.
Everything that buffoon touches turns into a disaster.
Neil Moors- Registered: 3 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,227
All becomes clear. Seaborne contract terminated by Government.
Button- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 2,900
It was doomed to failure - Ramsgate lacks a Brexit Banksy and there was no way one would have been painted in time.
(Not my real name.)
ray hutstone- Registered: 1 Apr 2018
- Posts: 2,158
Indeed. Second item on the news this morning. The "carefully vetted" company according to our wonderful Transport Secretary.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47182361Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,657
Our roads are in a dreadful state and our trains also have their problems and now this ferry fiasco, as a result Grayling comes across as the most incompetent Minister of Transport I can think of.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Weird Granny Slater- Location: Dover
- Registered: 7 Jun 2017
- Posts: 2,844
Grayling's just one of an established and growing breed, I'm afraid: politicians freely bullshitting without care or consequence. I believe its forename is epistemic insouciance, but its surnames are legion, and extend beyond the number of suits and twinsets in the House of Commons to places as various as, but not limited to, Pennsylvania Avenue, the Kremlin and the Élysée Palace.
'Pass the cow dung, my dropsy's killing me' - Heraclitus
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
I don't know how true this is but I was told that Ostend would have great difficulty turning round two ferries a day let alone the proposed four due to current commitments.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
back in the 70s Ostend had ferrys running to dover and back, both foot and cars ferrys, so if they could do it then they can do it now. all it neede is a good dredging to clear silt.
Jan Higgins likes this
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Brian Dixon wrote:back in the 70s Ostend had ferrys running to dover and back, both foot and cars ferrys, so if they could do it then they can do it now. all it neede is a good dredging to clear silt.
Brian, they haven't being sitting around with empty berths for 40 years, other services have taken over when the sailings to and from Dover stopped.
Brian Dixon likes this
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Courtesy of the Times.
The government ignored warnings from highly paid consultants before handing a no-deal Brexit contract to a ferry company without any ships, it emerged yesterday. Consultants flagged up “significant execution risks” surrounding Seaborne Freight’s ability to provide ferry services but the Department for Transport pressed on with the £13.8 million deal.
The consultants, who were paid £800,000 in taxpayers’ money, were unable to assess Seaborne’s finances formally because of a lack of information about the company. According to the National Audit Office (NAO), the DfT admitted that Seaborne represented a “high-risk proposition” before the award was made.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Just when I thought the subject was closed it transpires that Thanet are getting money to prepare the port for next month and the council are still in negotiations with Seaborne.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/council-to-get-136-000-to-prepare-port-for-brexit-199222/Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
what a carry on, a ferry company with no ferries and a council being propped with a back hander. what ever next.