# Solution to the post-Brexit food import crisis - UK Government hires a ferry company with no ferries **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 3, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166 "2019-01-03T20:43:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/1 "2019-01-03T20:43:43Z")
This doesn’t seem to have been posted, so I thought it should be done, for non-UK readers who may not have seen this story. In brief, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, every freight consignment entering the country from the EU will have to be manually checked. The UK has nothing like the port capacity to do this. But fear not - the UK government has solved the problem by hiring a ferry company that has no ferries to run a -uh - ferry service out of a port which hasn’t operated such a service for years and which can’t accommodate most boats. _…The narrow berths for ships at the Port of Ramsgate mean there are only a few suitable commercial vessels, most of which are currently already in service, he said…_ \*"A firm that has never run a ferry service before has been awarded a multi-million pound contract and they don’t even have any ships… \* \*Conservative Kent county councillor Paul Messenger said it was impossible for the government to have carried out sufficient checks on the firm. “It has no ships and no trading history so how can due diligence be done?” he asked.\* From: > **[No-deal Brexit ferry contract sparks concerns](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46714984)** > > Seaborne Freight was founded less than two years ago and has never run a ferry service before. But there are many others, eg > **[Grayling defends giving Brexit ferry contract to company with no ships](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/02/grayling-no-deal-brexit-ferry-contract-company-seaborne-freight-no-ships)** > > Transport secretary says Seaborne Freight’s £13.8m deal is support for new UK business > **[Chris Grayling ‘makes no apologies’ for giving Brexit ferry contract to...](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/chris-grayling-ferry-contract-no-deal-brexit-ships-seaborne-freight-uk-firm-start-up-dover-calais-a8707296.html)** > > New contracts, published quietly on Christmas Eve, said a ‘situation of extreme urgency’ exists in ferry capacity if the UK leaves the EU without a deal > **[Shipping firm with no ferries defends 'no-deal' Brexit ferry contract](https://news.sky.com/story/shipping-firm-with-no-ferries-defends-no-deal-brexit-ferry-contract-11595281)** > > Politicians raise concerns after a lucrative contract to run extra ferries is handed to a company which has never operated a ship. j ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/2 "2019-01-03T21:14:27Z")
You missed out the bit where their website has just [copy-and-pasted their terms and conditions from Deliveroo](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/03/brexit-freight-ferry-firm-appears-all-geared-up-to-deliver-pizzas?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR3xfdWQlDNlcbmmwff4ouNS6UXXYZDx5NKPTgKrVzMv0cqptEKeHT7hyu0) (a food delivery company?) You can’t use their website to prank order pizza apparently. I mean, I wouldn’t expect to be able to, but I think I’d expect, you know, a ferry or two. Anyone in a country with healthcare want an English internet bride? I still have all my own teeth and I don’t mind spiders, so Australia could work. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/3 "2019-01-03T21:34:31Z")
Surely everyone knows the solution to the Brexit food crisis? Bring back World War II era Victory Gardens: > **[Victory garden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden)** > > Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany during World War I and World War II. In wartime, governments encouraged people to plant victory gardens not only to supplement their rations but also to boost morale. They were used along with rationing stamps and cards to reduce pressure on the food supply. Besides Victory ... And of course with Europeans no longer stealing British fish (European fishermen fishing in British waters) there will a lot more fish for the British to eat. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/4 "2019-01-03T21:38:48Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Anyone in a country with healthcare want an English internet bride? > > I still have all my own teeth and I don’t mind spiders, so Australia could work. Why not? Come up and see me some time or in these modern times maybe PM … you can keep your teeth, have got my own. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/5 "2019-01-03T21:45:34Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Why not? Come up and see me some time or in these modern times maybe PM … you can keep your teeth, have got my own. Woohoo! Uh, you don’t look like that photo NASA put out do you? I mean, I could maybe get used to it I suppose… ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/6 "2019-01-03T22:52:14Z")
I regret to advise that I am not of the bodily mass that usually shows up on satellite photos. If that is a deal breaker, I know a couple of likely lads whose shadows weight almost 500gms? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/7 "2019-01-04T06:31:37Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Anyone in a country with healthcare want an English internet bride? > > I still have all my own teeth and I don’t mind spiders, so Australia could work. 1. Anyone with an English accent vaults to the top of the social ladder here in Canada. 2. I’m single and employed. 3. We have health care, plastic banknotes, lots of geography, and legal cannabis. So… um… how do you feel about snow? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/8 "2019-01-04T23:19:53Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > This doesn’t seem to have been posted, so I thought it should be done, for non-UK readers who may not have seen this story. > > In brief, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, every freight consignment entering the country from the EU will have to be manually checked. The UK has nothing like the port capacity to do this. But fear not - the UK government has solved the problem by hiring a ferry company that has no ferries to run a -uh - ferry service out of a port which hasn’t operated such a service for years and which can’t accommodate most boats. > > _…The narrow berths for ships at the Port of Ramsgate mean there are only a few suitable commercial vessels, most of which are currently already in service, he said…_ > \*"A firm that has never run a ferry service before has been awarded a multi-million pound contract and they don’t even have any ships… \* > \*Conservative Kent county councillor Paul Messenger said it was impossible for the government to have carried out sufficient checks on the firm. > > “It has no ships and no trading history so how can due diligence be done?” he asked.\* > > From: > > [No-deal Brexit ferry contract sparks concerns - BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46714984) > > But there are many others, eg > > [Grayling defends giving Brexit ferry contract to company with no ships | Brexit | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/02/grayling-no-deal-brexit-ferry-contract-company-seaborne-freight-no-ships) > > [Brexit: Chris Grayling ‘makes no apologies’ for giving no-deal ferry contract to company with no ships | The Independent | The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/chris-grayling-ferry-contract-no-deal-brexit-ships-seaborne-freight-uk-firm-start-up-dover-calais-a8707296.html) > > [Shipping firm with no ferries defends 'no-deal' Brexit ferry contract | UK News | Sky News](https://news.sky.com/story/shipping-firm-with-no-ferries-defends-no-deal-brexit-ferry-contract-11595281) > > j Are you under the impression that you need to own a ship to transport material? Or that each piece of freight is inspected? ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/9 "2019-01-05T08:36:30Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Are you under the impression that you need to own a ship to transport material? I’m not sure what sort of a gotcha you think this is, but- do you need a ship to transport material? No. Do you need a ship to run a ferry service from Ramsgate across the English Channel, which is what this contract is for? I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say yes. But if you think you can run one without, maybe there’s time to put in an application, no need to explain how you’re going to manage it, we no longer need to know anything like that. (Oh, and Sunspace, sorry for the slow reply, I had to run out and panic buy all the bread at the mention of the S word. I’ve not experienced it in a country that doesn’t grind to a halt at the threat of a cm of the stuff. Looks pretty on the Christmas cards though). ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/10 "2019-01-05T09:01:51Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > I’m not sure what sort of a gotcha you think this is, but- do you need a ship to transport material? No. Do you need a ship to run a ferry service from Ramsgate across the English Channel, which is what this contract is for? I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say yes. The answer is no. You can contract out what you need. At some point there has to be a company with a ship to contract. Many companies with their logo on a vehicle are actually leasing them. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/11 "2019-01-05T09:27:28Z")
I wonder which of Chis Grayling’s relatives or friends are running this company. There must be some corruption involved. The UK government doesn’t hand out large amounts of money to random startups for no reason. This is more than mere incompetence. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/12 "2019-01-05T09:44:55Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > This is more than mere incompetence. Ah, an idealist ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/13 "2019-01-05T13:15:13Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The answer is no. You can contract out what you need. At some point there has to be a company with a ship to contract. > > Many companies with their logo on a vehicle are actually leasing them. I think the point is that, with 80 or so days to go, they have nothing. No boats, no leased boats, no working UK port, no experience, no track record, no boots on the ground…although they do have a website that says: _It is the responsibility of the customer to thoroughly check the supplied goods before agreeing to pay for any meal/order_ (Thanks, **Filbert**!) There’s a reason this made headlines everywhere in the UK. j ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/14 "2019-01-05T13:20:43Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > …There must be some corruption involved. The UK government doesn’t hand out large amounts of money to random startups for no reason. **This is more than mere incompetence**. (My bolding) You may be right. I can’t help thinking that highlighting the prospect of, y’know, no food, is Theresa May’s final attempt to terrify MPs into voting through her hugely unpopular post-Brexit deal with the EU. _You want a no-deal Brexit? Wait 'til you see what we got for you! Explain that to your constituents._ j ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/15 "2019-01-05T18:56:32Z")
They could feel at the time that there was no way of knowing. The sea on the tide has no way of turning. You know there’s nothing more than this. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/16 "2019-01-06T12:21:00Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > They could feel at the time that there was no way of knowing. The sea on the tide has no way of turning. You know there’s nothing more than this. That’s good. Very clever. I was going to wonder if I might get stranded if I stick around; but it deserves better. j ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/17 "2019-01-06T13:39:49Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Are you under the impression that you need to own a ship to transport material? Or that each piece of freight is inspected? > [@Magiver](#): > > The answer is no. You can contract out what you need. At some point there has to be a company with a ship to contract. > > Many companies with their logo on a vehicle are actually leasing them. No, it is necessary however to have actually secured the vessals by lease or rental to do so. And in the context of a severe vessals shortage available to actual lease and move into position in time - the physical facts that are inconvenient, [and the company that in its two years since creation has secured no vessal](https://www.ft.com/content/ad549baa-0d10-11e9-acdc-4d9976f1533b), it is very legitimate to wonder about such contracting. Also as the CEO had his former boats company shuttered, was a failure. Indeed as the Financial Times reports, even the local Conservative party councilors finds it questionable: > [@](#): > > Paul Messenger, a local Conservative councillor, questioned the move, telling the BBC that the company had “no trading history and no ships”. The company is too small to file full accounts to Companies House. Its latest abbreviated accounts show net liabilities of £409,444. These are not facts that encourage. The other Financial Times (hint for the Americans, the FT is not a left wing publication) reporting shows the company is very questionable in the terms of financial strength, although perhaps via the public contract awarded opaquely they can find a way to secure the leases despite the questionable information. Certainly my financial institution would not pass them though for the risk factor. ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/18 "2019-01-06T13:45:35Z")
I’m sure **Quartz** can assure us that this means the warnings of No Deal Brexit are overdone. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/19 "2019-01-06T14:00:59Z")
No I think the pretension is there is no evidence to be seen. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solution-to-the-post-brexit-food-import-crisis-uk-government-hires-a-ferry-company-with-no-ferries/827166/20 "2019-02-09T17:47:21Z")
Update: Just when I was changing my mind about this, and coming to the conclusion that if you don’t actually have any ports - “…local politicians in both Ramsgate and Ostend warned that the ports at both ends of the route will not be ready the deadline…” - then not having a ferry either was probably the best way forward - it turns out that I’m out of step again. “…The government has axed its no-deal Brexit contract with a ferry company which had no ships…” > **[Brexit: Seaborne Freight no-deal ferry contract scrapped](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47182361)** > > The Irish backers of Seaborne Freight - which owned no ships - have pulled out of the deal. If you happen to be compiling a dictionary at the moment, it’s worth spending the time to read the article in full. It may help you with the entry for “Clusterfuck”. j