Posted 26th October 2022 | 2 Comments

Reshuffle results in third transport secretary this year

Reshuffle ++  The Prime Minister is holding the first meeting of his new cabinet this morning, having replaced a number of ministers following his appointment by the King. One of them is new transport secretary Mark Harper, who is MP for Forest of Dean. He has replaced Anne-Marie Trevelyan who was only in her post for a few weeks, having been given the job by Liz Truss. Ms Trevelyan had supported Boris Johnson in the latest competition for Conservative leader. The train operators’ group Rail Partners has welcomed Mr Harper to his post. Chief executive Andy Bagnall said: ‘Congratulations to Mark Harper on his appointment. Rail Partners and its members look forward to working closely with him and his wider ministerial team.’ Meanwhile, the transport secretary in Boris Johnson’s government Grant Shapps also served briefly as home secretary under Ms Truss, and is now business secretary in Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet.

Strikes ++ The RMT will be staging its next series of National Rail strikes on 5, 7 and 9 November in the continuing dispute over jobs, conditions and pay. Network Rail staff will walk out on all three days, and workers at most train operating companies will also strike on 5 November. In connection with separate disputes, RMT members on London Underground and Overground will strike on 10 November. A Network Rail strike had originally been planned for 3 November, but this has been postponed to the 9th so as not to disrupt the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Day. It is the second time this year that railway strikes have been postponed because of an event of national importance, because walkouts were also called off so that they would not coincide with the period of Royal Mourning in September.

Reader Comments:

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  • david C Smith, Bletchley

    Ever since the inception of the Strategic Rail Authority soon after privatisation, more and more decision making power has been vested in various quango's and in DfT, resulting in Operators who have no or very little incentive to generate innovation and investment nor customer appeal.

    Yes, subsidy and in some cases premiums are needed to represent "hidden costs and benefits", but use these to incentivise ,not to be a "command and control" exercise.

  • Chris Jones-Bridger, Buckley Flintshire

    How unsurprising that another Secretary of State for Transport is appointed. The DfT officials had barely had time to house train the last one! Being cynical it's probably irrelevant who occupies the Secretary of State officer at the DfT as it's very apparent that the Treasury is in the driving seat now ands will deciding priorities for spending. With 'efficiencies', or in plain English cost cutting, being demanded other than already authorised & progressing enhancement schemes investment is likely to be stalled. Also with revenue recovering slower than ridership revenue support to the TOC's will continue to be squeezed.

    With progress on the creation of GBR now stalled the rail industry is in a much weakened position to coherently argue it's case. Grim times await.