The Business Secretary has said a £1bn investment in the Essex port will continue despite controversy surrounding comments by the owner of P&O Ferries.
There have been suggestions that DP World may shelve the plan after Transport Secretary Louise Haigh described P&O Ferries as a “rogue operator”.
But Jonathan Reynolds told BBC DP World plans to expand London Gateway “will go ahead”.
The row is likely to overshadow a major government summit starting on Monday, where ministers hope to showcase investment in the UK.
But DP World will now take part in an international investment summit where the government hopes to attract billions of pounds of investment.
The row began in an interview on Wednesday, in which Haigh said she had been boycotting P&O Ferries since the company decided to cease operations in 2022. Lay off 800 employees and replacing them with cheaper agency workers, adding she would “encourage consumers to do the same”.
The company defended the decision as “difficult but necessary” and said it was to safeguard the company’s future.
In an interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Reynolds said his cabinet colleagues were not expressing “the government’s position.”
He added that Labor insisted the sackings were “wrong” but stressed it had now announced plans Strengthen legal protection For seafarers.
He added: “The situation now is that as a government we can prevent P&O Ferries from happening again.”
Speaking to Sky News, Reynolds said the government must “have conversations” with DP World after reports the investment would be shelved.
Reynaud’s comments came after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also told BBC News Radio on Friday that Hague’s views did not represent those of the government.
On Saturday, a government source said the Prime Minister had confidence in Hague. Her department said she would attend an investment summit on Monday.
Hague’s comments came as the Department for Transport announced new legislation aimed at protecting seafarers’ jobs from what it calls “fire and rehire” practices by “rogue employers”.
DP World says the expansion of London Gateway will bring hundreds of jobs to Thurrock, Essex.
The United Arab Emirates-based company also owns Southampton’s container port.
A spokesperson for the company told the PA news agency that it had “received the clear information we need” following “constructive and positive discussions with the government”.
“We look forward to attending the International Investment Summit on Monday,” they added.
