UK spends over £100m on extra ferries to ease no-deal Brexit pressures

Ministers accused of ‘recklessly’ spending public money on last-minute preparations

The UK has spent more than £100m chartering additional ferries amid mounting fears over “severe congestion” at Dover in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Lucrative contracts, published quietly on Christmas Eve, reveal Whitehall officials warned that a “situation of extreme urgency” exists in “roll-on roll-off” ferry capacity if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Documents show the Department for Transport (DfT) has signed £107.7m agreements with French firm Brittany Ferries, Danish company DFDS and the UK’s Seaborne to ease pressure on the important freight routes between Dover and Calais.

Ministers were accused of “recklessly” spending public money on last-minute preparations for a disorderly Brexit, which will be the default scenario if MPs cannot reach an agreement.

Several senior ministers including justice secretary David Gauke have expressed opposition to no deal, exposing splits with Brexiteers who advocate such a plan.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: “It is complete madness to see the government recklessly handing over £100m on preparing British ports for a no-deal scenario.

“The government has the power to stop no deal at any time but instead is spending millions on last-minute contracts.”

In documents outlining the contracts, DfT said increased border checks in UK ports after Brexit could “cause delivery of critical goods to be delayed” in the event of no deal.

The additional crossings are equivalent to around 10 per cent of all traffic on the Dover Strait, and will use other ports including Poole, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Immingham and Felixstowe.

Contracts, uncovered by data analysis firm Tussell, were not put out to tender, with the DfT saying it was a “situation of extreme urgency” brought about by “unforeseeable events”.

DFDS was awarded a contract worth £47.3m, while Seaborne Freight was given a £13.8m deal.

Brittany Ferries will boost its schedule by 50 per cent through the £46.6m contract, with the company adding 19 return sailings to three routes between the UK and France.

Christophe Mathieu, Brittany Ferries chief executive, said: “Our priority is to prepare for a no-deal Brexit and to create additional capacity.

“By increasing the number of rotations on routes like Le Havre – Portsmouth we will be able to meet the Department for Transport’s Brexit requirement.

“We will also work hard to minimise impact on existing Brittany Ferries freight customers and passengers, although there may be some changes to some sailing times, for which we apologise in advance.”

A DfT spokesman said: “This significant extra capacity is a small but important element of the Department for Transport’s no-deal Brexit planning.

“While remaining committed to working to ensure a deal is reached successfully, the department is helping ensure the rest of government are fully prepared for a range of scenarios, including a particular focus on a potential no-deal and to mitigate the impact of any Brexit outcome on all transport modes.”