Turmoil in UK government as Transport Secretary resigns

Louise Haigh, the outspoken Transport Secretary, has resigned from her high-level post in the government. She did so in the early hours of Friday morning (29 November). News broke of her conviction for a historic criminal offence. It is understood that the politician was convicted of a fraud offence over a falsified report of a mobile phone theft.

The resignation of Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has surprised the UK transport industry and political commentators alike. The government minister was heavily involved in top-line reform of the railway industry in the UK, including implementing the government’s flagship policy to nationalise most aspects of the railway. She was also deeply involved in a recent investment summit, at which a huge expansion of London Gateway Freeport was announced.

Calling out DP World and P&O over jobs scandal

Haigh had already been at the centre of controversy for the UK Government. She was applauded by unions for calling out the conduct of P&O Ferries. She referred angrily to employment practices which had seen British seafarers dismissed, only to be replaced by cheaper labour. Haigh had publicly called for a boycott of the company – a move which encouraged P&O owners, DP World, to issue a veiled threat to withdraw investment in the showpiece intermodal port terminal at London Gateway. Embarrassingly, this happened on the eve of a stage-managed investment summit. DP World has since withdrawn the threat, and expansion is underway at London Gateway – which may have encouraged shipping line Maersk to announce a switch of some services to the port.