Former cabinet minister Chris Grayling – who once gave a multimillion-pound contract to a ferry firm with no ships – has landed a new £275 per hour role with a major ports company.
According to updated parliamentary records, the Conservative MP will earn £100,000 per year as a “strategic adviser” to Hutchison Ports Europe.
A new entry in the register of MPs’ interests states that Mr Grayling expects to do about seven hours of work per week in the role.
Image: Hutchison owns Felixstowe port in the UK
The former transport secretary, who was involved in no-deal Brexit planning for the UK’s ports during his time as a government minister, consulted a Whitehall watchdog about taking on the position.
The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, chaired by Mr Grayling’s former cabinet colleague Lord Pickles, considers the appropriateness of new jobs taken on by former ministers.
The committee ruled that Mr Grayling should not give any advice to Hutchison on matters relating to his Brexit planning work while transport secretary for a period of two years since he left office.
They also said – for the same two-year period – he should not work on Hutchison contracts that might relate directly to government work, and not become personally involved in lobbying ministers on behalf of the firm.
Hutchison describes itself as the “world’s leading port network” with more than 30,000 employees, operating ports and terminals in 27 countries.
Its European arm operates in Belgium, Germany, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK – where it owns ports at Harwich, Felixstowe and Rochester.
While transport secretary, Mr Grayling awarded Seaborne Freight a £13.8m contract to ensure ferries kept crossing the Channel in the event that the UK leaves the EU without an exit agreement.
The government was heavily criticised after it emerged the firm had no vessels suitable for carrying goods or vehicles, and had copied its terms and conditions of business from the website of a takeaway.
The contract was later ripped up.
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Mr Grayling was sacked as a cabinet minister by Mr Johnson when he became prime minister last July.
During his previous nine years as a government minister, including spells in three different cabinet roles, Mr Grayling became known by critics as “failing Grayling” due to a number of controversies at his various departments.
Last month, Mr Grayling resigned as a member of the House of Commons Intelligence and Security Committee – six weeks after he was defeated in his attempt to become its chair.
Mr Grayling’s register of interests also notes that he employs his wife Sue as his parliamentary office manager.
In 2017, newly elected MPs were told they would no longer be allowed to employ spouses and other relatives using taxpayers’ money.
The restriction didn’t apply to those who already employed “connected parties”.
Mr Grayling has been MP for Epsom and Ewell since 2001.