£33 Million For Eurotunnel - How Does Grayling Keep His Job ?

[Gromit]

Chris Grayling MP, as part of the Government’s omnishambles Brexit planning awarded contracts to cross channel ferry operators (including one with no boats).
EuroTunnel took the Government to Court arguing the contracts were awarded unfairly.
In an out of Court Settlement, the Governmentare handing over £33Million to EuroTunnel to avoid further embarrassment. Grayling keeps his job somehow.

// The government will pay £33m to Eurotunnel in an agreement to settle a lawsuit over extra ferry services in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
In December, the Department for Transport (DfT) contracted three suppliers to provide additional freight capacity on ferries for lorries.

But Eurotunnel said the contracts were handed out in a "secretive" way.
Mr Grayling said: "While it is disappointing that Eurotunnel chose to take legal action on contracts in place to ensure the smooth supply of vital medicines, I am pleased that this agreement will ensure the Channel Tunnel is ready for a post-Brexit world."

However, had it gone to court, Eurotunnel was going to argue that the DfT had ample time to for a full, public tender process, and could have foreseen all Brexit eventualities from at least the date on which Article 50 was triggered in 2017.

Sources familiar with the case say the government was essentially "held over a barrel" by Eurotunnel, and was left with little choice but to settle. //

[Ellipsis]

Also today, the NAO published a damning report on Grayling's time as justice secretary:

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https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/watchdog-number-of-offenders-returned-to-prison-has-skyrocketed-37867403.html
In 2013, under then-justice secretary Chris Grayling, the Ministry of Justice embarked on major reforms of probation services.

Known as Transforming Rehabilitation, the scheme saw the creation of the National Probation Service to deal with high-risk cases, while remaining work was assigned to 21 community rehabilitation companies (CRCs).

Sir Amyas said: “The ministry set itself up to fail in how it approached probation reforms.

“Its rushed roll-out created significant risks that it was unable to manage.

“These have had far reaching consequences.

“Not only have these failings been extremely costly for taxpayers, but we have seen the number of people on short sentences recalled to prison skyrocket.”
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[CrapAtCryptics]

Just curious but would Eurotunnel have had the excess capacity to make a difference otherwise they are just whingeing for the sake of it.

[agchristie]

I see Mr Grayling didn't attend his ward surgery today.Tough day for him I'm sure!

[Old_Geezer]

Can't see why there was an issue. They apparently asked all presently running ferries, plus at least one that wasn't. That should've covered 'due diligence' responsibilities.

[New Judge]

"Just curious but would Eurotunnel have had the excess capacity to make a difference otherwise they are just whingeing for the sake of it."

Their argument was that, as they had operated ferries in the past, they should have been given the opportunity to tender for the job. They could not have been in a worse position than the company who was awarded the aborted contract (who had no boats, no offices and no port).

Mr "Failing" Grayling will no doubt be moved to another brief in the not too distant. Having fcuked up the Justice system and now transport there must be plenty of opportunities for his undoubted talents to be utilised elsewhere.

[agchristie]

NJ - I might be thinking for a very long time on that one!

[jno]

the cost of his bungled privatisation of the probation service has cost somewhere north of £160 million, so I suppose £33 million is a mere bagatalle, one that taxpayers will scarcely notice. At least his unlawful attempt to stop prisoners receiving books doesn't seem to have cost me much.

[gulliver1]

What can one expect when you give a Tory/Con Minister ,access to the Public Purse?.