Government reshuffle

[Pugwash]

You do realise that the departure of Greening and Villiers comes at exactly the wrong (or maybe right!) time for the WCML franchise mess?
Villiers was in charge of franchising, and had a good grasp of the railway.
I'd be interested to know what McLoughlin did in his previous time in Transport (1989-92). Must have been the same time as the saintly Portillo and the work on the early Channel Tunnel links (pre-HS1).
He was so prominent I'd never heard of him...
His backround suggests he will call a spade a spade.

Simon Burns doesn't seem to have any transport involvement to date.

Must be depressing for the one surviving minister, Lib Dem Norman Baker, to have to educate two new boys, both more powerful than he is.
It will be interesting to see how they cope with the Transport Select Committee next week.

Simon Burns is a complete waste of space, he will do whatever the party tell him to, I have absolutely no faith in the man.

 

[Morgsie]

Yes, you are right of course he is, another one who has not moved.
There are four ministers, Patrick McLoughlin at the top and three juniors, Norman Baker, Simon Burns and Stephen Hammond.
Their pictures are now on the DfT web site.
We don't know how they will carve the portfolio up yet.
Teresa Villiers did most of rail (including franchising), Norman Baker did local transport.

Villiers was responsible for Rail strategy and aviation along with London and the EU.

Norman was responsible for local transport including light rail and Rail performance.

I wonder what the new faces at DfT will do regarding Rail.

Not happy about Greening moving and it looks like a possible u-turn regarding Heathrow

 

[Butts]

He should have moved "Hushpuppy wearing cigar chomping beer swilling " Ken to Transport.

At least we would have had a laugh

 

[merlodlliw]

He should have moved "Hushpuppy wearing cigar chomping beer swilling " Ken to Transport.

At least we would have had a laugh

Ken Clark is OK, speaks his mind & seen as a threat to the right wing, I have a lot of time for him has hes from the left wing of the party.

Bob



David Jones local M/P is now in charge of the Welsh Office, this is good news as David takes a big interest in rail travel, So at last North Wales M.P. is now boss of the Welsh Office

 

[Helvellyn]

Its been suggested that Cameron maliciously moved her to International Development Secretary.... She will be forced to fly out of Heathrow on a monthly basis.

Not just that. As International Development Secretary she will likely fly to locations around the world that are off the beaten track (for Heathrow at least) and that perhaps don't have direct air links to London at all. So she could well have to transit at other hub airports (Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid) in order to get to these places because Heathrow doesn't. Makes me think Cameron has a sense of humour!

 

[northwichcat]

Not just that. As International Development Secretary she will likely fly to locations around the world that are off the beaten track (for Heathrow at least) and that perhaps don't have direct air links to London at all. So she could well have to transit at other hub airports (Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid) in order to get to these places because Heathrow doesn't. Makes me think Cameron has a sense of humour!

A Heathrow Runway 3 wouldn't automatically mean direct links to those airports without direct links currently. I'm sure BA and other airlines would like to increase the frequency of flights to existing destinations as well as some new destinations.

If you want direct links to some little airport in France then you're unlikely to ever get them from Heathrow as Ryanair probably already meet the current dan future demand with a service from Stansted.

 

[jon0844]

Given how happy Ryanair was about to BAA selling Stansted, I have to assume they're planning to get some form of ownership of the airport, by either taking it over or forming a consortium or something.

Perhaps Virgin should buy it!

 

[WatcherZero]

Reportedly Ryanair have asked to join the Manchester Airports Group consortium, doubt they would take them as a partner though with their previously petulant behaviour (demanding £0 landing fees and a payment for every passenger they brought to the airport then moving to Liverpool when MAG stood up to them before crawling back and apologising five years later)