Following a long fight with the Scottish and Welsh Governments over imposing freeports on the autonomous nations, they may have been “killed” after all, UK Government sources have said.

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart had previously said that Wales would have to accept a freeport “come what may” and Economy Minister Vaughan Gething had warned them not to “impose” a tax-free port on Wales.

But senior ministers have now briefed to the London newspapers that Treasury officials had now “killed” the ports. It was one of many UK Government schemes across Whitehall suppressed by Civil Servants, they said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak had previously lauded the free ports as a way of “levelling up” the economy outside of London.

The Welsh newspaper, Nation Cymru has further coverage of the story.  

Afloat adds there is only one designated freeport located on the UK's west coast, that been at the Port of Liverpool.