How do members of The Cabinet travel on the train?

[MidnightFlyer]

I know of one senior cabinet minister who travels to and from work most days on class 455 units.

Vince Cable? I know he's Member for Twickenham (I think).

 

[Peter Mugridge]

No, think about where I live...

 

[bicbasher]

Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna is a regular commuter on Southern's Metro services out of Victoria. This may change if Labour get in next week.

 

[hassaanhc]

No, think about where I live...

Ah, Chris Grayling for Epsom & Ewell. Depending on his nearest station he may have the option to take Class 377s instead
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Vince Cable? I know he's Member for Twickenham (I think).

Can't see him getting on a Class 455 unless it is on a fast service to/from Waterloo , which there are three towards London from Shepperton in the morning, and three outward in the evening (although one is the 1713 which is limited stop to Twickenham then all stations to Waterloo via Wimbledon, and the middle of the three Shepperton ones is a 450).

 

[CockneySparrow]

I think the Royal Family have used normal service trains now and again, seem to recall the Queen travelling on a 365 not so long ago.

She does and she sits in first class with security at the door, it has also been known the royal train to go to Middleton Towers but cant see that happening again though
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Back on topic of MPs using trains I believe that East Coast used to make a special stop at Huntingdon for John Major when he was PM

 

[Aldaniti]

Whereas Miliband prefers to remove the antimacassars to pretend he isn't in First Class

His other trick is to travel First Class but move to Standard to do interviews. Most of the electorate won't have a clue. If he can practice the dark art of political deception when the cameras are around, I wonder how deceptive is he when they aren't? He's not the only one I'm sure, but coming from someone who has previously said that he wants to restore trust in politicians, I do find him particularly two-faced.

 

[jopsuk]

I presume Charles is on the list of royals with access to the Royal train.

The Queen & Duke of Edinburgh each have a carriage of their own (2093 and 2904). Charles has two, 2922 & 2923, that were built especially for him as part of the 1985-88 final build of Mark 3 coaches

 

[cogload]

Cable and Davey travel in from Twickenham and Kingston on the train.

 

[TUC]

A few years back I found myself waiting next to William Hague at Darlington station. He didn't have any staff with him and it was a Monday morning so I assume he was on his way down to London for the week. On the train he just took up an unobtrovsevly placed single seat in first class.

 

[thenorthern]

I have seen Cameron remove the First Class branding from seats as well but to be honest I don't see a problem with senior members of the cabinet travelling First Class as many of them do need security and despite what people may say they are in a Professional Senior Managerial Role which in the Private Sector would warrant First Class travel. I have noticed in The Daily Mail that Cameron has been seen on the tube several times but I don't know how true that is. Personally though I think its great that the Prime Minister can travel on public trains unlike in other countries where bullet proof cars and Air Force One are needed.

I know Nick Winterton was not happy when ordinary MPs were told they couldn't claim for First Class travel any more and I think he was quoted several times in the press about it.

HM Queen does travel on normal trains occasionally I remember on BBC East Midlands Today they were making a big deal about how great she was for getting a normal East Midlands HST to Leicester during her Diamond Jubilee. I think though that Royal Family security is much tighter than ministerial security.

 

[CalderRail]

Is the royal train still in service?

It came through Calderdale during the Tour De France Grand Depart last year.

I remember because they chose to run the train ECS along the valley, exacerbating the congestion problems on the day, rather than take it along through Standedge.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I have seen Cameron in the 1st on a Pendolino from Brum - he had a couple of staff with him and some Protection Officers. The PA announcements were excellent and restrained - no annoying "Thecurity" announcement to begin with. The staff lined up at the front end at Euston but "Cams" basically ignored them - no eye contact even , let alone a "thank you" - not impressed.

In my time I have given Prescott a cab ride on a 313 from Euston to Willesden Jct - and a very senior member of the Royal Family enjoyed a 321 cab ride from Tring to Leighton Buzzard. Both ocassions properly done. (with appropriate supervision)

 

[edwin_m]

I hope they use split ticketing and book well in advance, to get the best fares.

In fact given they always travel in groups, I hope they have Two Together railcards.

I think Cameron and Clegg might have got a Two Together railcard, had they been available in 2010. These days it's more a case of split ticketing.

 

[jp4712]

I think the scream of anguish at the temerity of senior politicians travelling in First Class is over-done. I travel first class for work and I'm not at risk of being kidnapped, shot at, berated by some disgruntled fellow traveller; nor do I have secret papers with me. If someone who is one of the top leadership of the country can't travel in First when a pleb (yes, I know) can then it's actually not healthy.

We as a society (actually we as readers of certain newspapers) are making it far too difficult to be a politician. I am paid comfortably more than my local MP and in addition I don't get as much hassle. The saying 'pay peanuts, get monkeys' springs to mind. I'd be happy to double MPs' pay to get the best and brightest the country has to offer. As things stand those brightest and best have no incentive - they can get better rewards elsewhere.

 

[Haydn1971]

To be fair, on a long day trip where I need to work also on the train and known my travel return times, I've been known to grab first class tickets to ensure I've got access to breakfast, drinks and an evening meal - I've travelled standard more and just ended up being stressed up trying to work, looking for the drinks trolley, small seats etc... Sheffield to London return at fixed times is often 2/3rds the cost of a standard anytime, the latter doesn't guarantee a good seat for working at or indeed my preferred table aisle seat - I'm 6ft 4 and built like a brick outhouse so really need a table and space to extend into

 

[ADRboy]

Don't have an issue with MP's travelling First, if they pay for it themselves. They earn a decent salary.

 

[dviner]

It would be better if they were expected to abide by the same expenses conditions that "normal" people do - standard class as a norm, first class for "senior management", if non-"senior management" wish to upgrade to first class, then they pay for the upgrade out of their own pocket. Business Class only for flights over 4 hours duration, no expenses for travel to and from their normal place of work, everything documented and available for audit.

 

[Class 170101]

We as a society (actually we as readers of certain newspapers) are making it far too difficult to be a politician. I am paid comfortably more than my local MP and in addition I don't get as much hassle. The saying 'pay peanuts, get monkeys' springs to mind. I'd be happy to double MPs' pay to get the best and brightest the country has to offer. As things stand those brightest and best have no incentive - they can get better rewards elsewhere.

It is not difficult to get candidates to be prospective MPs. Each party has hustings reducing candidates from 3 (at least) to one then each party produces a candidate.

Over two ballot papers (Local and National) I have 11 candidates to choose from - quite enough.

 

[Hairy Bear]

Had Cleģg and his bodyguards travel on the last sheffield to London one Saturday night in standard. But not long after we set off they asked if they could move to first (no upgrade), train manager said no !. "Did I do the right thing "he asked ... too right I replied.one of the people eh !!!.

 

[DarloRich]

I saw Dave get off an East Midlands train at Bedford last week. He was in first calss, travelling with one obvious security guy and a sour faced woman carrying his red box.

I got a terrilbe look as i stood not 3 feet from him and booed him! I felt good! I was also recently on a Grand Central train which carried William Hauge. Before the off the police used a sniffer dog to search the train and there were several armed police around the platform. He travelled with an assitant and was actually quite pleasent, which was a shame

I assume he was off to Northallerton

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Ah, Chris Grayling for Epsom & Ewell. Depending on his nearest station he may have the option to take Class 377s instead

Indeed, and while his station is Ashtead, Waterloo is generally the quicker route to Westmister so he'll be more likely to be found on the SWT services. ( You can also find him walking round in the constituency very regularly - he tries to spend a minimum of one day a week in the constituency. )

 

[Aldaniti]

I think the scream of anguish at the temerity of senior politicians travelling in First Class is over-done. I travel first class for work and I'm not at risk of being kidnapped, shot at, berated by some disgruntled fellow traveller; nor do I have secret papers with me. If someone who is one of the top leadership of the country can't travel in First when a pleb (yes, I know) can then it's actually not healthy.

We as a society (actually we as readers of certain newspapers) are making it far too difficult to be a politician. I am paid comfortably more than my local MP and in addition I don't get as much hassle. The saying 'pay peanuts, get monkeys' springs to mind. I'd be happy to double MPs' pay to get the best and brightest the country has to offer. As things stand those brightest and best have no incentive - they can get better rewards elsewhere.

I don't have an issue with government ministers travelling First Class either. In fact, if they booked Advance tickets, as their system forces the rest of us to do, they could probably travel more cheaply than the Standard Open's that they tend to buy. Oh, and as a small business employer of 30 years, I can with some confidence say that we live in a country where there is, more often than we might realise, little relation between ability and salary. Take the former Co-Op bank chief - Rev. Flowers - as just one example. Politicians and ministers are paid a satisfactory salary, benefits and expenses package as it is, and I suspect that increasing their salary would achieve nothing. In fact, quite often, ability is not even a consideration when selecting MP's. For example, I live in a constituency where the local MP's father made a donation to her party a few years before she became the MP.

 

[DarloRich]

I think the point is WE are paying for thier first class travel. They can travel by whatever means they like if they pay. Until then, if i travel cattle class they should travel cattle class. Why should the servant have better than the master?

 

[DownSouth]

I got a terrilbe look as i stood not 3 feet from him and booed him! I felt good!

I congratulate you on your mighty victory.

 

[DarloRich]

I congratulate you on your mighty victory.

Just doing my democratic duty of holding elected officals to account

 

[Iskra]

I think the point is WE are paying for thier first class travel. They can travel by whatever means they like if they pay. Until then, if i travel cattle class they should travel cattle class. Why should the servant have better than the master?

I generally think you're a decent poster on here, but this reads very bitterly.

Would you travel in STD if doing so risked your personal safety?

I'm a pleb who earns 1/3 of an MP's salary. My company will pay for me to travel in 1st where I can justify it and I'm not at risk of assault or worse for speaking my mind in my role.

 

[DownSouth]

Just doing my democratic duty of holding elected officals to account

You could do two democratic duties in one go next time round if you chose to raise the level of public discourse by asking an intelligent question instead of lowering it the level of monosyllabic animal noises

 

[WatcherZero]

When the Queens travelling for personal rather than public functions she usually drives herself in her Range Rover.

 

[Class 170101]

Surprised the Queen drives herself - still hope she is upto the same medical standards as the rest of us need to be for driving.

 

[CalderRail]

It would be better if they were expected to abide by the same expenses conditions that "normal" people do - standard class as a norm, first class for "senior management", if non-"senior management" wish to upgrade to first class, then they pay for the upgrade out of their own pocket. Business Class only for flights over 4 hours duration, no expenses for travel to and from their normal place of work, everything documented and available for audit.

Being a member of parliament is pretty much the definition of "Senior Management" for the UK, really.