Or [controversial view warning] he's waiting in the wings to take over when his boss slips up.
Lord Adonis was the Transport Secretary in the past Labour government.
See above.
Or he may be keeping a low profile after the Gareth Dennis business. (Especially as it now seems everyone from Haigh down now seems to concur with what Dennis said)
Can't disagree.
Without wishing to rehash that testy thread, Lord Hendy probably agreed as well, whether Dennis was right about Euston was never the point.
I think Hendy is grounded following the (still unfolding) Gareth Dennis debacle - he hasn’t made a single public appearance since, even for the 2nd HoL reading of the Passenger Railway Services bill last week! Considering his appalling choice of threat toward Systra, I reckon he can’t be seen as associated with any decision-making at DfT for the time being - lest the impartiality of procurement decisions be thrown into question.
It doesn’t read like the kind of speech intended for new announcements at all - more a “drum the same few messages again to drive the points home” kind of speech it seems!
His job is background though surely.
I doubt he would be appointed transport secretary. There is nothing constitutional to prevent that but i cant image Labour MP's would be best pleased or the media.
No one is. This isn't the speech to tell you. It wasn't designed to do that. It seems to be a short speech at a public event to "vuy a bit of media time, recap key messages, set out activities taken so far and reiterate the key item: change.
Well seniority or not, he's already slipped up royally too. I heard the unfortunate nickname Lord Peter Euston-off used last week.
Nothing happening thats going to change anything visibly anytime soon although there is loads that could be done and you would have expected her to have laid our some meat on the bone. Reality is this is going to be a lot harder than people think and if shes taking the time to evolve change that gets my vote
Of course this is partly how Railtrack came crashing down.
Not sure how that tallies with buying off the unions without getting any reforms. Kicking the can.....
Optimistic - haven't those departments always argued, whether or not they are in the same company? Personally I believe the TOCs represent the passengers' interests and help to prevent an engineer lead railway that finds passengers and trains an inconvenience.
Is this a new announcement - how are they paying for it?
No, Louise announced that while presenting the Passenger Services Bill I think.
Yes GBRS is aggressively yield-managed and meant to be a revenue growth mechanism for TOCs at best, or a feeble marketing push at worst. Not at all anything resembling the true fares reform and Peak fare reduction that this country sorely needs for its railways to be a better driver of social good.
Of course they rubbished Shapps when he did the Great Rail sale
