**Labour Seeks to Balance P&O Criticism After Starmer Slaps Down Call for Boycott**
A Labour MP has endeavored to strike a balance in the criticism directed towards P&O Ferries following reports that the Transport Secretary’s suggestion of a boycott could potentially endanger a £1 billion investment in the UK.
Sir Keir Starmer has clarified that Louise Haigh’s call for a boycott of the ferry company does not align with the government’s stance. Liam Byrne supported Haigh’s remarks, acknowledging P&O’s parent company, DP World’s, “completely unacceptable” behaviour towards its workers in the past. The MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North emphasised that such actions are intolerable in the country and mentioned the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill as a means to regulate how companies treat their employees, including firms like P&O.
Reports suggest that Dubai-based DP World had been planning to unveil a substantial investment in the UK at the upcoming International Investment Summit. However, this investment is now under scrutiny following criticism of P&O Ferries by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Transport Secretary Louise Haigh.
P&O came under political fire in 2022 for abruptly dismissing 800 British seafarers and replacing them with cheaper overseas staff. Sky News reported that Deputy PM Rayner and Secretary Haigh introduced legislation to prohibit such actions, with Haigh labelling P&O as “cowboy operators” and Rayner condemning the incident as manipulative.
In an ITV interview, Haigh went so far as to advocate for a boycott of P&O Ferries, which she branded a “rogue operator.” When asked if Haigh’s call for a boycott was justified, Starmer emphasized that it did not reflect the government’s standpoint.
Labour’s Byrne, the chairman of the House of Commons’ Business and Trade Committee, echoed Haigh’s sentiments about P&O’s past conduct, stating that such behaviour cannot be tolerated. He highlighted the significance of the forthcoming Employment Rights Act in shaping the expectations for company behaviour, particularly impacting companies like P&O.
The investment summit set for Monday will serve as an opportunity for the government to showcase UK-bound investments worth billions and attract potential new deals. Byrne underscored that unethical practices, like those carried out by P&O, will not be condoned in the UK business landscape, asserting the government’s confidence in DP World’s forthcoming actions.
**Source:** [The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/po-ferries-boycott-labour-starmer-b2203051.html)