Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate calls for an end to the squabbling over The Port of Dover's future

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sarah Smith has called for an end to the squabbling over The Port of Dover's future. "It's time to put the interests of Dover and its people first", she says.

Sarah Smith, who is a former advisor with the Financial Services Authority, says there is no benefit in handing over the port to private owners: "The Port is too important to Dover to be sold off with no thought about the effect on the town, its regeneration or local employment - all issues at the heart of my campaign.

"The Harbour Board is doing a good job, recently posting its best traffic figures since 2009, but what is needed now is a structure that guarantees the Port's management team stays accountable to local needs, and gives the Harbour Board access to capital investment so it can compete successfully with other ports in the UK and Europe.

"Dover people voted against privatisation and for more local say. For me, the way forward is shared ownership - a joint venture between local authority, state and private enterprise that makes local influence democratic. It's been shown to be the most effective method of managing a port for the wider benefit of the country, working very well for successful ports such as Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg. It can be a good model for us here in Dover.

"I think if people had been offered this option in the 2011 referendum, results might have been substantially different. It's time to find a practical way to deliver what the people of Dover want and start acting on it."