UK Government accused of treating stricken Port of Holyhead as an ‘afterthought’

The UK Government has been criticised for its lack of response, following the closure of Holyhead Port until at least the middle of next month.

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that the port would be closed until 15 January at the earliest, after it  sustained damage during Storm Darragh on 6 and 7 December.

The ferry company Stena Line, which owns the port, said that on 6 December, during the storm, there were two incidents at the berth at Terminal 3 which resulted in part of the structure collapsing and rendering it unusable.

‘Huge effort’

In a speech delivered in the House of Commons today (19 December), the Plaid Cymru MP for Ynys Môn, Llinos Medi, said that she was “certain” that if the Port of Dover or a London airport were closed for over a month, “there would be a huge effort to get these sites open again and to support the thousands of supply chain jobs affected”.

She said that so far, Holyhead had been treated as an “afterthought”.

The storm, which brought gusts of up to 94mph, has wreak havoc on operations at the port, which is the UK’s second busiest roll-on-roll-off port and a vital trade link with Ireland.

It plays a critical role in the UK economy, with total UK exports to Ireland amounting to £54 billion.

Responsibility over ports is devolved to the Welsh Government, however, international trade is a reserved matter.

Ms Medi has urged the UK Government to introduce a hardship fund for the companies impacted by the port’s closure.

The Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee joined Ms Medi’s calls for action on Wednesday, writing to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to demand updates on assistance for reopening the port and supporting affected workers and businesses.

‘Strategic location’

“I believe that the government should be holding a debate on the UK wide impact of the closure of the port of Holyhead,” Ms Medi said.

“Although ports in Wales are a matter for the Welsh Government, international trade is a matter reserved to the UK Government. Holyhead’s strategic location is key for the UK economy. Westminster cannot ignore this issue.”

She added: “Holyhead’s closure just before Christmas has had a direct impact on livelihoods and businesses on the island: the sudden ending of freight traffic means businesses have seen their work vanish overnight. This is pushing local businesses to breaking point.”