Thread by @PickardJE

some of you may remember the £33m payment by the Department for Transport to Eurotunnel to settle claims it had been unfairly excluded from plans to keep cross-channel routes open in the event of a no-deal Brexit

Eurotunnel was angry that the government had ignored it when it promised payments of £89m to two operators, Brittany Ferries and DFDS (and at one point £14m for Seabourne Freight) to lay on alternative ferry services to prevent congestion at the main Dover-Calais artery

Now we have a new twist:

P&O Ferries has begun legal proceedings vs DFT after being excluded from no-deal Brexit preparations.

“If left unchallenged (the £33m) would put our services at a competitive disadvantage...we have initiated legal proceedings.”

ft.com/content/baa1b5…

On the face of it this may sound like a fresh blow for beleaguered transport secretary Chris Grayling.

But the action might save £ for taxpayers.

That’s because DFT/Eurotunnel contract says if the money is found to be “unlawful state aid” Eurotunnel could have to repay it...

so on this occasion is Grayling failing or prevailing? Let’s find out...