Downing Street calls for P&O Ferries chief executive to quit after ‘brazen’ comments

But spokesperson refuses to guarantee firm will be prosecuted under planned changes to the law

(Getty Images)

No 10 has backed calls for the chief executive of P&O Ferries to quit his post, but refused to guarantee the company would be prosecuted under planned changes to the law.

It comes after Peter Hebblethwaite admitted the company broke employment law by failing to consult with the unions before the mass sacking of 800 workers over a Zoom call last week.

In an extraordinary committee session in Parliament on Thursday, the chief executive also told MPs he would “make this decision again” when asked if he would change anything in hindsight.

Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said the admission about breaking the law was “brazen and breathtaking, and showed incredible arrogance”, as he called on Mr Hebblethwaite to quit.

“I cannot believe that he can stay in that role having admitted to deliberately go out and use a loophole — well, break the law, but also use a loophole,” the cabinet minister told Sky News.

Mr Shapps insisted he would announce a “package of measures” in the Commons next week, “which will both close every possible loophole that exists and force them to U-turn on this”.

Asked if the prime minister supported Mr Shapps’s call for the P&O chief executive to quit, a No 10 spokesperson told reporters on Friday: “Yes”.

The spokesman, however, refused to guarantee that the planned law changes would see P&O prosecuted — despite Mr Johnson making that promise in the Commons.

On Wednesday, the prime minister told MPs: “We will therefore be taking action. If the company is found guilty, it will face fines running into millions of pounds.

“We will take them to court, we will defend the rights of British workers.”

The spokesman said changes would be made to maritime law, to employment law and to ensure minimum wage legislation is complied with, with the details to be published next week.

But he declined to confirm P&O will end up in court, saying: “All I can do is point to the changes that we will set out next week, which will ensure this can’t happen again.”

After Mr Hebblethwaite’s appearance on Thursday, the general secretary of the Trade Union Congress, Frances O’Grady, stressed: “Ministers can’t wash their hands of responsibility. Employment law in the UK is too weak.

“Ministers must immediately take steps to prosecute the company and its directors, and to suspend DP World’s lucrative freeports and other public contracts until the workers are reinstated.

“And they must bring forward the long-promised employment bill so other companies don’t follow P&O’s appalling example.”

But despite calls from unions to designate P&O Ferries with “pariah status” and terminate its government shipping and freeport contracts until workers are reinstate, Mr Shapps added on Friday that he “can’t directly” revoke P&O’s licence, when asked why the company is still operating after breaking the law.