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Brexit ferry contract awarded to company with no ships

Gadgetman496

This is part of the 108m spent on contracts in the event of a no Brexit.

https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2018/1230/1019649-brexit-ferry-contract/

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expectationlost

katiek102010 wrote: »

They seemingly want to operate from Ramsgate

Ramsgate doesn’t have the infrastructure and even the local Tory Council are querying what due diligence has been done prior to awarding the contract

it does have the infrastructure, ferries ran their before, its just trying to lessen any queues at dover...

katiek102010

Ramsgate doesn’t have the appropriate infrastructure.

I used to live near there until 6 months ago. I also used to work for the council there.

There is no physical way possible for the slips there to take a passenger ferry. They can’t really cope with cattle and stopped those operations a few years ago.

They have ports along the Thames estuary and even Chatham would have a better chance with the infrastructure than ramsgate

https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/concern-over-138m-no-deal-2375730

namloc1980

expectationlost wrote: »

it does have the infrastructure, ferries ran their before, its just trying to lessen any queues at dover...

It doesn't have the infrastructure required of a modern port and has not had a ferry service since 2013. No customs infrastructure either that will be absolutely required come 30th March.

AndyBoBandy

expectationlost wrote: »

it does have the infrastructure, ferries ran their before, its just trying to lessen any queues at dover...

If the ferries they plan to use are the narrow passenger type (which are unsuitable for freight), then yes, they have the infrastructure (and by infrastructure I mean the ability to dock the ships, not including the customs arrangements that’ll need to be put in place). Otherwise Ramsgate is not suitable for the larger freight carrying ships, and extensive upgrades will be required.

They have less than 90 days.

WoollyRedHat

prinzeugen wrote: »

Non story. Its just more of the usual crap that RTE have come out with about Brexit.

You dont have to own a boat to operate a ferry. Just like you dont need to own a plane to operate an airline.

When Virgin Atlantic started all their aircraft were leased.

There are hundreds if not thousands of ships sitting idle at sea "awaiting orders" (work). Take the Russian cargo ship that ran aground in Cornwall a few weeks back. It was sitting there on the of chance someone would charter it.

Ramsgate does have the infrastructure as most old ports on the south coast do. What condition its in is anybody's guess. Plenty of it was kept on a "care and maintenance" basis by the military until about 1990.

Except the company in question have never chartered/ran a Channel service before.

Also the company is chaired by Mark Bamford, the brother of Anthony Bamford, who is a big donor to the Tory party, has attended many the private dinner with May before and is a staunch advocate for a hard Brexit. Indeed he is of the opinion that a no-deal is no big deal. But I'm sure that's all coincidental right.

MarkHenderson

More anti Brexit spin.

WoollyRedHat

MarkHenderson wrote: »

More anti Brexit spin.

The company in question has no assets, no accounts on record and yet has been given a 14m contract, thoughts on that?

expectationlost

namloc1980 wrote: »

It doesn't have the infrastructure required of a modern port and has not had a ferry service since 2013. No customs infrastructure either that will be absolutely required come 30th March.

if it had ferries in2013 that it has the infrastructure of modern port

AndyBoBandy

expectationlost wrote: »

if it had ferries in2013 that it has the infrastructure of modern port

Waterford airport had commercial flights in 2013, so by your reckoning they can handle a fully loaded 747-800 freighter?

Also in 2013 there would have been no requirement for large scale customs infrastructure. That will no longer be the case from March 30th onwards.

You do realise ships come in all different shapes and sizes?

namloc1980

expectationlost wrote: »

if it had ferries in2013 that it has the infrastructure of modern port

It can take small ferries as of 2013. Not the larger freight ferries that it needs to accommodate in a post Brexit world. Added to that no infrastructure and limited space for full on customs checks and this whole thing stinks. Not to mention the company has assets totalling £66, the UK government bypassed proper EU procurement process and it's all a bit of a clusterfrick.

nice_guy80

You'd wonder what links the company has to Tory members

my3cents

namloc1980 wrote: »

... the UK government bypassed proper EU procurement process a....

Hmmmm Brexit?

[Deleted User]

This is only a relatively small operation which the government is helping to get off the ground.

Contracts have also been signed with DFDS and Brittany Ferries to increase capacity by 50% on existing routes. These are worth over 40m each, far bigger than the 14m to get ferries running from Ramsgate again.

namloc1980

my3cents wrote: »

Hmmmm Brexit?

They're still in the EU.

my3cents

namloc1980 wrote: »

They're still in the EU.

But who is going to follow up on any current breaches of their rules by the UK?

[Deleted User]

my3cents wrote: »

But who is going to follow up on any current breaches of their rules by the UK?

The UK still has to follow the rules and is still subject to the ECJ.

If you are convinced there has been a breach of the rendering rules, you can check up. It should all be there on the OJEU.

namloc1980

my3cents wrote: »

But who is going to follow up on any current breaches of their rules by the UK?

The European Commission to the ECJ. I believe the UK invoked a clause where procurement can be done "differently" where there are unforeseen circumstances. How they can claim Brexit is unforeseen is another question when it's UK policy since the referendum to have a Brexit.

A Dub in Glasgo

my3cents wrote: »

Hmmmm Brexit?

Brexit has not happened and the UK is still an EU member

[Deleted User]

Ben Sharp has been the Managing Director of Mercador International since 2005. He's the guy leading the new company by the looks of it.

If you want to guage the tendering, start there.

Harry Palmr

If an organized Brexit happens I hope they remember to not send out the cheques.

expectationlost

namloc1980 wrote: »

It can take small ferries as of 2013. Not the larger freight ferries that it needs to accommodate in a post Brexit world.

it will accommodate what it can accommodate

sk8erboii

In this thread: People who have no idea how businesses work becoming outraged at clickbait headlines

Capt'n Midnight

expectationlost wrote: »

i actually think this story is really overblown, first thing on the BBC 10 news?, so a port with no current ferries might be getting a service set up by experienced ferry operators who are setting a company up to do a specific job. so ....

Not to mention it breaks EU subsidy rules.

But the UK are trying to use every loophole in the book on this one.
Like Calling Hard Brexit extreme emergency / unforeseen circumstances when they have a deal on the table and can call off the whole thing any time they want.

Small business so exempt from something or other
https://twitter.com/faisalislam/status/1079158533193637888

And the Danes want payment in Euros

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46714984

The firm said it had originally intended to start the service in mid-February but this had now been delayed until late March for operational reasons.

Late March ? *sniggers*

He said dredging in Ramsgate Port would start on 4 January in preparation for the freight service.

OK , lets' see.

Still not sure where they will hire ferries from.

my3cents

As I was going to point out for a non story the BBC were very quick to pick up on it.

[Deleted User]

my3cents wrote: »

As I was going to point out for a non story the BBC were very quick to pick up on it.

The press always look for a story like this over the Christmas period, because they know the relevant press offices will be on holiday and the story will have a few days to run before someone can quash it.

[Deleted User]

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

And the Danes want payment in Euros

As this is most likely with the DFDS French operation, a contract in the vendor’s local currency would be the norm.

SEPT 23 1989

They have faced far worse and survived,

First Up

SEPT 23 1989 wrote:

They have faced far worse and survived,

So is survival now the height of the Brexit ambition?

SEPT 23 1989

First Up wrote: »

So is survival now the height of the Brexit ambition?

In the very short term yes

Berlin never makes things easy