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Sky News reports that DP World has halted a billion-pound investment in the UK after Minister's criticism

Sky News reported Friday that port and logistics company DP World had halted a $1,3 billion investment in Britain, after criticizing practices at P&O Ferries. This was a major blow to the British government, just before an upcoming investment summit.

Keir starmer, the Prime Minister of Australia, hopes to use the Monday international investment summit as an opportunity to promote his vision for generating growth in order to attract companies to invest.

The "pro-business and pro-worker initiative" of his government faces a test, after the criticisms directed at P&O Ferries from Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner as well as Transport Minister Louise Haigh seemed to have disrupted preparations for this summit.

Sky News and Bloomberg both reported that Dubai-based DP World was reviewing the planned investments, which were to be a key part of Monday's announcements at the summit. Sky News and Bloomberg reported that DP World chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem had withdrawn from his scheduled attendance at the summit.

DP World has declined to comment.

P&O Ferries, a British company, made 800 employees redundant immediately in 2022 and suspended crossings within a few days. This sparked resentment from politicians and trade unions, who criticized plans to hire agency workers, which were cheaper.

P&O Ferries said at the time that it needed to make rapid and significant changes as the business would not be sustainable without them.

Rayner and Haigh announced on Wednesday new protections for the seafarers and closed what they called a loophole that P&O Ferries had used. Rayner stated that the government is on a mission to "so that no employer abuses the system", and Haigh described the mass dismissals as a "national tragedy".

Haigh, in an interview with ITV News called P&O Ferries "rogue operators" and claimed that she has been boycotting the company for years.

Starmer refused to comment when asked by broadcasters whether DP World had decided to withdraw the investment due to ministers' remarks. He instead pointed out a number of other investments that the government announced in the lead-up to summit.

A spokesperson for the Government said that it was pleased with "P&O Ferries commitment to complying with our new Seafarers' Legislation".

The spokesperson continued, "We continue to be in close contact with DP World."

The Conservative Party, the opposition party, said that this dispute demonstrated Labour Ministers' lack of business knowledge.

Kevin Hollinrake, the business spokesperson for the party, said: "This is a serious blow to the government on the eve this much-vaunted event of inward investment."

(source: Reuters)