Among the topics discussed during his meeting with Mr Moffat was the growth achieved during the past few years and the port’s future plans to maintain its competitive edge.

‘It was a huge honour to welcome Mr Miliband and I am delighted to have had the opportunity to update him on our plans for the future’, said Mr Moffat, who took over the leadership of one of the north east’s thriving ports in November.

He added, ‘It is often said that one of the challenges facing a business during an economic downturn is accepting change in order to maintain growth and resist decline. We will seek to take advantage of new opportunities and keep pace with the changes in world shipping and the associated supply chains. There are challenging times ahead and how we change to meet the challenges will dictate our future success.’