Sunday 10 February 2019 4:35 pm | Updated: Monday 03 June 2019 1:28 am

James Brokenshire defends Chris Grayling after government scraps no-deal ferry contract

Housing minister James Brokenshire this morning defended transport secretary Chris Grayling from calls that he should be sacked over the collapse of a no-deal Brexit ferry contract with a firm that had no ships.

Asked by the BBC whether he had confidence in Tory MP Grayling following the cancellation of the contract, Brokenshire replied: "Chris Grayling has done a huge amount of work to prepare for our departure from the European Union and on the ferry issue it's important to note that 90 per cent of that capacity is with two other companies, Brittany Ferries and DFDS. So it's about this 10 per cent where no public funds have been paid out in relation to this and indeed, on other works that Chris has been doing – 10 aviation agreements concluded with countries like the US and Canada to ensure we have that position in place."

Asked whether he thought Grayling was competent, Brokenshire said: "I think Chris has done a really tough job really really positively to ensure that we are well prepared. I strongly endorse all the work Chris has been doing."

Calls for Grayling to be sacked came after the government scrapped its controversial contract with Seaborne Freight, a company that had no experience in transporting ferries, vehicles or goods across the Channel.

The Department for Transport (DfT) agreed a contract with Seaborne worth £13.8m in the event that the UK left the EU without a deal on 29 March.

However, the DfT revealed yesterday that it had terminated the deal after Irish company Arklow Shipping, which had provided backing to the deal, stepped away.

A DfT spokesperson said: “Following the decision of Seaborne Freight’s backer, Arklow Shipping, to step back from the deal, it became clear Seaborne would not reach its contractual requirements with the government. We have therefore decided to terminate our agreement.

“The government is already in advanced talks with a number of companies to secure additional freight capacity – including through the Port of Ramsgate – in the event of a no deal Brexit.”

A number of MPs, including from Grayling's own party, rounded on the transport secretary to resign. Tory MP Anna Soubry told the Observer that Grayling should be "quietly considering his position".

“Chris Grayling holds a critical position in government, trying to mitigate what would be a very serious crisis for the country if we leave the European Union without a deal,” she said. “He has no grip on the very serious nature of his job. The Prime Minister should also be considering whether there is not someone else who could do the job better.”

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald also told the newspaper: “While Theresa May needs the few friends she has right now, we cannot have this incompetent transport secretary heaping humiliation after humiliation on our country. He has to go.”

Vince Cable, the Lib Dem leader, added: “I very rarely call on ministers to go, but failing Grayling has made too many crass mistakes. He has already lost the confidence of the civil service as they now require a ministerial directive for the government to spend money on ferries.”