The post you are reporting:
If Jacqui Smith does return, perhaps somebody could ask her what the official government policy is towards privatisation of the port. The immigration and policing aspects fall within her remit.
We know that Gwyn is adamantly opposed to privatisation. Also that Charlie Elphicke has repeatedly stated that privatisation will not happen on his watch and that he has confirmed on his blog that it is official Conservative Party policy to oppose privatisation.
The question remains as to what the official government policy is. They were responsible for approving the people chosen for the current Dover Harbour Board. Have they appointed them with a view towards privatisation? If not, why is Bob Goldfield outsourcing most of the labour force? Outsourcing made sense for the Western Docks where the cruise ships are only running for part of the year. It is completely irrelevant for the main operation, the Eastern Docks, which runs 24/7 all year round. Why, when you have been blessed with having been handed a loyal and efficient workforce, would you want to pay somebody else to do your job for you?
It is inexplicable except in the context of the prelude to privatisation, which would appear to be the only way now open to fund the contemplated expansion of the port. The plans for Terminal 2 were originally to be funded completely by DHB. The estimated cost then rose sharply and it became necessary to look for external finance. Presumably any hope of this has now dried up with the banking meltdown and the recession.
The case for Terminal 2 was always tenuous at best. Predictions of an ever-increasing volume of continental freight were always open to question and, were it ever to materialise, there are other modes and other routes competing to transport it.
Terminal 2 would therefore appear to be a dead duck unless the port is privatised. This may, or may not, have been the reason that Bob Goldfield was appointed. It would certainly look good on his c.v. were he to accomplish it.
Given that there is no finance available in this country for years to come and that most of the previously privatised organisations are now in foreign hands - seaports, airports, railways, steel, nuclear power, utilities, etc, etc, - a foreign purchaser would seem almost inevitable.
Dubai Port World has to be the obvious prime candidate. The clue is in the name. They acquired P&O in order to obtain the massive list of ports around the world which were their main business. A ferry company operating out of the UK came with the package but was hardly a match for their corporate raison d'etre. That ferry company is still the major operator from the Port of Dover which is the largest ferry port in Europe. Were the port now to be up for grabs, I would think that Dubai would be very interested. They would not even have to change the familiar initials - they could operate it through a body known as DHB - Dubai Harbour Board.
How things have changed when a Labour government is suspected of being in favour of privatising a major national asset and the Conservative opposition is against it!