At a moment when a UK government looks set to inflict the biggest damage on the nation since the Second World War, it seems odd to hand out praise. But ministers — particularly accident-prone Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling — have signed off a surprisingly inspiring and coherent shipping strategy in among the avoidable chaos of Brexit.

The “Maritime 2050 — Navigating the Future” policy blueprint shows how UK shipping could progress with or without an exit from the EU.