Grayling failing to get it, again

[eastdyke]

Grayling is continually failing but is really a symptom of the political system in that (apart from HS2) there is no long term cross-party vision for transport in this country over the coming decades. Transport secretaries come and go at regular intervals, often reversing previous policies and cancelling projects in favour of their own pet schemes. Transport is still not even seen as important enough for the TS to be a member of the Cabinet despite its impact on the daily lives of millions.

Really? Has there been a change?
Gov.UK lists The Secretary of State for Transport as 1 of 23 Cabinet Ministers (23 including the PM).
https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers#cabinet-ministers

 

[deltic08]

Am I missing something?
Chris Grayling went to Saudi Arabia in April this year and signed some sort of deal relating to transport investment. I seem to remember that there was some criticism on this board at the time for his leaving the UK ‘when the rail system was in crisis’, etc.
(To be quite clear, I am not expressing any view on the suitability of otherwise of any regime or nation as development partners.)

Was he trying to sell them electrification?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Really? Has there been a change?
Gov.UK lists The Secretary of State for Transport as 1 of 23 Cabinet Ministers (23 including the PM).
https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers#cabinet-ministers

Yes that was my understanding too.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

I doubt the private sector will invest under the current regulatory regime and the constant battle they will have with DfT (let alone the commercial risk of being hornswoggled into undertaking all the backlog renewal works that NR can find).

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Transport is still not even seen as important enough for the TS to be a member of the Cabinet despite its impact on the daily lives of millions.

Yes it is.
At times it has been merged with other departments, but there has always been a cabinet post responsible for transport (since 1919).

 

[PaulHarding150]

SoS for Transport has always had a seat at the top table and the word transport has always been in their job title apart from 1970-1976 when it fell under the Dept for Environment. But even then there was someone 'in charge' of transport at the top table.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_Transport#Minister_of_Transport_(1919–1941)

In Wales there has always been an individual at the Cabinet Table with responsibility for Transport, but they've often had the word transport omitted from their job title (two of the last four in fact).

 

[Rail Ranger]

Grayling says that Phase 2 of HS2 "is not in the bag": https://www.newcivilengineer.com/la...ght-for-hs2-northern-section/10036491.article

 

[keith1879]

My expectation is that HS2 will get canned if leaving the EU proves to be as costly to the nation as it may be. Please note that I express no opinion or preference about either of these two projects - just an expectation about funding issues.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Grayling says that Phase 2 of HS2 "is not in the bag": https://www.newcivilengineer.com/la...ght-for-hs2-northern-section/10036491.article

That piece is a bit vague, but I think they are talking about HS2b (ie Crewe-Manchester/Golborne and Birmingham-Sheffield/Leeds/York).
HS2a (Lichfield-Crewe) is not in the bag either, but it is much further down the parliamentary process and seems safe unless there is a financial crash.

 

[snowball]

My expectation is that HS2 will get canned if leaving the EU proves to be as costly to the nation as it may be. Please note that I express no opinion or preference about either of these two projects - just an expectation about funding issues.

Phase 1 must be approaching the stage at which it would be more difficult to halt it than continue with it.