A controversial ferry contract awarded to a company with no ships as part of no-deal Brexit plans has been scrapped, the government has said. Ministers had faced criticism for the £13.8m deal with Seaborne Freight, which has never run a ferry service. The Department of Transport said it made the decision after the company's Irish backer pulled out. The government is now in "advanced talks" to find another company to replace the cancelled deal. The Daily Telegraph, which first reported the cancelled contract, said Arklow Shipping, a major Irish shipping firm, withdrew its support from Seaborne "without warning". ... (full story)