Shadow transport secretary stuck on broken train

[Groningen]

Privatisation or nationalisation; such things can happen in both cases. So it is not an argument in my eyes.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Who has said every single problem would be solved by nationalisation?

The RMT, ASLEF and Labour at every possible opportunity.

 

[matt_world2004]

The RMT, ASLEF and Labour at every possible opportunity.

So I am sure you can find a quote from a representative of these organisations saying that then.

 

[Taunton]

My day of campaigning has been interrupted by a broken down train

Coming from what is, in comparison, a very small cog in the commercial world, we would never accept someone going to address an important key meeting who was just taking the last long distance train to arrive before things start. If by plane, don't just take the last one. And if going by road don't just set off the normal journey time before arrival. You allow plenty of "buffer", and if it's a long way away and you are the key speaker, go the evening before and stay close by. Yes, you lose your evening at home. That's how it is.

 

[takno]

Coming from what is, in comparison, a very small cog in the commercial world, we would never accept someone going to address an important key meeting who was just taking the last long distance train to arrive before things start. If by plane, don't just take the last one. And if going by road don't just set off the normal journey time before arrival. You allow plenty of "buffer", and if it's a long way away and you are the key speaker, go the evening before and stay close by. Yes, you lose your evening at home. That's how it is.

He was up at the crack of dawn to do radio interviews, and had a full day planned taking in several places in the country ripping into the rail industry. He may well be completely wrong, but it seems harsh to suggest that he was being disorganised or lazy

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Rather advantageous to the Shadow Secretary I would have thought - he did a video from the vestibule of his failed VTEC train highlighting his concerns about the fare increase and the controversial bailout of said VTEC.

 

[bb21]

He was up at the crack of dawn to do radio interviews, and had a full day planned taking in several places in the country ripping into the rail industry. He may well be completely wrong, but it seems harsh to suggest that he was being disorganised or lazy

Or overly ambitious some would say.

Either that or he gracefully accepts that sometimes things can go wrong.

Quite simple really. It's not as if his own party did fantastically "well" in their 13 years in power.

 

[theageofthetra]

They do however have a very ambitious light rail and heavy rail programme which could well bring work to UK design and construction firms. I don't like the man greatly but if he can get a chunk of that work given to us instead of say, China, then great!

Correct- they are looking at investing heavily.

 

[infobleep]

1D08 seems to be on the move now, and according to VTEC twitter (to which I've been tweeting as well) - will terminate there.......

-edit- It's JUST terminated (at 1249) running some 130 minutes late!!!

Why did he just do the talk 3 hours late or did he have other appointments he couldn't get out of. The station is always full of people so he'd have no shortage of people to join him at the talk.

 

[DarloRich]

McDonald was already critical of VTEC following Lord Adonis' recent comments - he'll have another reason to add to his list of criticisms now!

Incidentally Grayling can't talk to the media about rail fare rises today as he's on 'official government business' in Qatar - yes the transport minister is visiting a country without any railways.

like a typical Tory coward he is hiding rather than face the media and his electorate.

Why did he just do the talk 3 hours late or did he have other appointments he couldn't get out of. The station is always full of people so he'd have no shortage of people to join him at the talk.

because even in the non media spin managed Corbyn Labour party events are stage managed and timetables tight to allow for maximum media exposure and comment, especially when the Tory ministers are nowhere to be seen.

 

[infobleep]

like a typical Tory coward he is hiding rather than face the media and his electorate.



because even in the non media spin managed Corbyn Labour party events are stage managed and timetables tight to allow for maximum media exposure and comment, especially when the Tory ministers are nowhere to be seen.

True so it wasn't a talk aimed at the people but at the media who'd then bring choice edits of it to the people. I guess he needed a surrounding to attract media interest. A gimmick so to speak. The gimmick being Leeds station.

Given he's being critical, I doubt the TOCs wanted him at the station.

 

[DarloRich]

True so it wasn't a talk aimed at the people but at the media who'd then bring choice edits of it to the people. I guess he needed a surrounding to attract media interest. A gimmick so to speak. The gimmick being Leeds station.

Gicen he's being critical, I doubt the TOCs wanted him at the station.

oh course it as media event - he is a politician! And don't NR run Leeds station?

 

[mpthomson]

like a typical Tory coward he is hiding rather than face the media and his electorate.

He faced the media re this when it was first news, in August, and his brief, as has been said, involves more than just rail. Even Eddie Mair on PM yesterday thought the furore of him being in Qatar was a big fuss about nothing much.

 

[DarloRich]

He faced the media re this when it was first news, in August, and his brief, as has been said, involves more than just rail. Even Eddie Mair on PM yesterday thought the furore of him being in Qatar was a big fuss about nothing much.

Rail fare rises was the biggest transport story of the day. He leads the department. He is the face. He should be front and centre taking the brickbats and leading the counter narrative. The fact he lacked the balls to face the media and do that job as a leader is telling in my mind.

if you want to have all the publicity and photo ops for good news you have to front up on the bad news days. Perhaps his trip to Qatar was unavoidable. Perhaps not. I suggest his absence leads to a very easy target for complaint and accusations of cowardice and hiding away.

 

[mpthomson]

Rail fare rises was the biggest transport story of the day. He leads the department. He is the face. He should be front and centre taking the brickbats and leading the counter narrative. The fact he lacked the balls to face the media and do that job as a leader is telling in my mind.

if you want to have all the publicity and photo ops for good news you have to front up on the bad news days. Perhaps his trip to Qatar was unavoidable. Perhaps not. I suggest his absence leads to a very easy target for complaint and accusations of cowardice and hiding away.

I would suggest that the protests in Iran were actually the biggest story and certainly the most important news story of yesterday and New Year's Day, certainly as reported on the sensible news outlets. Let's face it, the fare increases are old news. It had already been all over the press once and the reasons for it dissected in forensic detail in August. There's no reason to rehash it all again, even a senior BBC anchor not known for his love of the Conservative government thought that.

 

[matt_world2004]

I would suggest that the protests in Iran were actually the biggest story and certainly the most important news story of yesterday and New Year's Day, certainly as reported on the sensible news outlets. Let's face it, the fare increases are old news. It had already been all over the press once and the reasons for it dissected in forensic detail in August. There's no reason to rehash it all again, even a senior BBC anchor not known for his love of the Conservative government thought that.

What the DOO protests have reached Iran?

 

[DarloRich]

I would suggest that the protests in Iran were actually the biggest story and certainly the most important news story of yesterday and New Year's Day, certainly as reported on the sensible news outlets. Let's face it, the fare increases are old news. It had already been all over the press once and the reasons for it dissected in forensic detail in August. There's no reason to rehash it all again, even a senior BBC anchor not known for his love of the Conservative government thought that.

Agreed - hence transport story I simply feel it is the duty of the "transport head" of the government to be visible on a day when many people are just a tad unhappy about one of the decisions taken by his department.

Unless you are telling me Mr Grayling was dispatched to the middle East to solve the issues in Iran and that the "conference" in Qatar was merely a ruse for top level diplomacy of international importance....................

 

[matt_world2004]

Unless you are telling me Mr Grayling was dispatched to the middle East to solve the issues in Iran and that the "conference" in Qatar was merely a ruse for top level diplomacy of international importance....................

Maybe hes flogging iran some pacers to unite the country together in hatred of them

 

[infobleep]

oh course it as media event - he is a politician! And don't NR run Leeds station?

I'm sure you they do run Leeds station but the TOCs run the trains into it and his comments aren't solely about the NR run Leeds station.

I would suggest that the protests in Iran were actually the biggest story and certainly the most important news story of yesterday and New Year's Day, certainly as reported on the sensible news outlets. Let's face it, the fare increases are old news. It had already been all over the press once and the reasons for it dissected in forensic detail in August. There's no reason to rehash it all again, even a senior BBC anchor not known for his love of the Conservative government thought that.

Still although he thought it a non news story, they still covered it in their news programme that he fronts!

 

[Agent_Squash]

Perfectly normal to cover issues in the news that are attracting attention (such as the RMT's protests, although that's getting quite common now)

 

[infobleep]

Perfectly normal to cover issues in the news that are attracting attention (such as the RMT's protests, although that's getting quite common now)

It is perfectly normal but why say it's a non news story when covering it.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Agreed - hence transport story I simply feel it is the duty of the "transport head" of the government to be visible on a day when many people are just a tad unhappy about one of the decisions taken by his department.
Unless you are telling me Mr Grayling was dispatched to the middle East to solve the issues in Iran and that the "conference" in Qatar was merely a ruse for top level diplomacy of international importance....................

I can't find any reference as to where the Rail Minister Paul Maynard was yesterday.
A picture of him at Blackpool North (in his constituency), while it is being rebuilt from scratch, would have conveyed a message as to where people's fares increases go.
Despite the rage on the media, I see Andy McDonald is merely calling for fares rises to be pegged to CPI rather than RPI.
Hardly radical.
The Guardian points out that RPI inflation is hard-wired into franchise contracts, and also into Network Rail's access charges.
Not to mention staff wages.

 

[mpthomson]

Agreed - hence transport story I simply feel it is the duty of the "transport head" of the government to be visible on a day when many people are just a tad unhappy about one of the decisions taken by his department.

Unless you are telling me Mr Grayling was dispatched to the middle East to solve the issues in Iran and that the "conference" in Qatar was merely a ruse for top level diplomacy of international importance....................

He was there for trade talks rather than anything to do with Iran, given the amount of inward investment that the UK needs for big infra projects related to transport that’s not an unreasonable thing to do.

 

[mpthomson]

I can't find any reference as to where the Rail Minister Paul Maynard was yesterday.
A picture of him at Blackpool North (in his constituency), while it is being rebuilt from scratch, would have conveyed a message as to where people's fares increases go.
Despite the rage on the media, I see Andy McDonald is merely calling for fares rises to be pegged to CPI rather than RPI.
Hardly radical.
The Guardian points out that RPI inflation is hard-wired into franchise contracts, and also into Network Rail's access charges.
Not to mention staff wages.

Grayling wants fairs linked to CPI too, but has made the point that unions will need to accept CPI based rises in remuneration too.

 

[mpthomson]

I'm sure you they do run Leeds station but the TOCs run the trains into it and his comments aren't solely about the NR run Leeds station.


Still although he thought it a non news story, they still covered it in their news programme that he fronts!

That’s the editor’s decision not the presenter’s.

 

[nottsnurse]

It's not as if his own party did fantastically "well" in their 13 years in power.

Andy McDonald did not become an MP until 2012, and whilst he had been a councillor beforehand, it can most definately be argued that Labour Party of 2010 (a pro-PFI, Tory-light imposter) is not the same beast as the Labour Party of 2017 (who are very much returning to their rightful Socialist roots).

Of course the Tory Party is also very different from what it was in 2010 too, seemingly picking up the slack for UKIP.