State bid for Felixstowe
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by CM reporter AN OFFER worth £5.25m has been made by the State-owned British Transport Dock Board for the Felixstowe Dock Co Ltd. Felixstowe has been one of Britain's most successful privately owned ports with extensive ro/ro services to the Continent. The Docks Board has pledged that if agreement is reached for a take-over— and that would have to be approved by Transport Minister John Gilbert—it will continue to expand the port.
Observers feel that the surprise move may well mean an end to the Government's controversial plans for full-scale docks nationalisation. Felixstowe was easily the largest plum the Government could have expected to pluck by a direct nationalisation move and its acquisition into the State docks network would substantially reduce the rationale for nationalisation.
The Government is pressing ahead with plans to extend the dock labour scheme and it may be that that measure will be considered sufficient for the docks reform to which the Labour Party is committed.