Ministerial Reshuffle Affecting Rail

[nomis1066]

It would be nice to have Norman Baker promoted to a more "heavy" rail orientated role. Might give him more chance to move the re-opening agenda forward.

Mixed feelings about Norman Baker with his anti BML2 posturing. He also seems to make little use of his current status when it comes to promoting Uckfield - Lewes reopening which is an integral part of BML2 which could be sorted out as at least an initial step in the right direction.

 

[yorksrob]

Mixed feelings about Norman Baker with his anti BML2 posturing. He also seems to make little use of his current status when it comes to promoting Uckfield - Lewes reopening which is an integral part of BML2 which could be sorted out as at least an initial step in the right direction.

I agree to an extent. My reasoning is that he has been supportive of Uckfield - Lewes in the past, and might be in more of a position to do something about it given a heavy rail role.

Of course, the proof of the pudding would be in the eating !

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The BBC is reporting that Maria Eagle is being replaced as Shadow Transport Secretary.
She is quite a controversial figure and by no means universally admired, but she did bat for HS2.
My main grumble with her is that the policies she complains about (eg fares escalator and franchising) were in fact Labour policies.

 

[WatcherZero]

Her default reaction to every event was call for renationalisation, can see why that may be more of an issue approaching the election when the Conservatives have decided to fight the battle on Thatcherism vs 70's Socialism while Labour trys to fight it on living standards and just who in society is benefitting from austerity and recovery.

 

[merlodlliw]

The BBC is reporting that Maria Eagle is being replaced as Shadow Transport Secretary.
She is quite a controversial figure and by no means universally admired, but she did bat for HS2.
My main grumble with her is that the policies she complains about (eg fares escalator and franchising) were in fact Labour policies.

My guess Ann Clwyd should be in the shadow Cabinet, talking of switching people it would be welcome to see this happen in Wales,the current Minister with rail in her portfolios is Edwina Hart, good for her own patch but not the bigger picture as we found out.

I hope David Jones remains Sec Of State for Wales, he is really batting for rail.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Norman Baker apparently going from Transport to the Home Office.
This is the BBC quoting the Daily Mail so not firm...

Norman was one of the most clued-up rail ministers.
He and Andrew Adonis would have made a good team.

Edit: Baroness (Susan) Kramer replaces Norman Baker as junior Transport Minister (no 3 in the deptarment).
She was at one time a Lib Dem shadow transport spokesman specialising in London transport issues (Crossrail, Thameslink etc).

 

[Morgsie]

Still confused over Susan Kramer's portfolio because she is a Minister of State according to the BBC and twitter. Suggests she is number 2 at DfT

I am gutted Norman has moved, I wanted him promoted to Simon's old role

 

[WatcherZero]

Brief glance says Kramer was anti-HS1, anti-Thameslink, pro-Crossrail, Anti-Heathrow 3rd runway, tends to look at transport issues through the effects upon her constituents not the national good.

 

[CardiffKid]

Brief glance says Kramer was anti-HS1, anti-Thameslink, pro-Crossrail, Anti-Heathrow 3rd runway, tends to look at transport issues through the effects upon her constituents not the national good.

Well she doesn't have a constituency anymore.

Plus her portfolio doesn't include rail does it?

 

[WatcherZero]

Assuming she is a direct replacement in duties for Norman Baker yes it does, covers operational railway, ticketing, rail performance, community rail and local/regional transport investment. Though the role is mainly visible for light rail, buses and green transport policies.

 

[Morgsie]

Looks like she is the number 2, Robert Goodwill is now the Parliamentary-Under- Secretary according to the number 10 twitter

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Robert Goodwill is now Parliamentary Under Secretary at the DfT.
He is a Yorkshire famer representing Scarborough.

Not sure this is the Simon Burns replacement (who was Minister of State).

 

[WatcherZero]

Suggestion earlier was Kramer was direct replacement for Baker as they keep quotas of lib dem positions. Did hear a couple of weeks ago that they were considering expanding HS2 into a seperate position ala Olympics Minister so they could be adding another junior minister.

 

[SF-02]

Do other countries have this silly routine of changing the people in charge constantly so there is no consistency?

It just screams of typical British short-termism which afflicts business, economics, banking, politics etc

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Suggestion earlier was Kramer was direct replacement for Baker as they keep quotas of lib dem positions. Did hear a couple of weeks ago that they were considering expanding HS2 into a seperate position ala Olympics Minister so they could be adding another junior minister.

There's a fourth DfT minister (Stephen Hammond, who mostly does roads and buses).
He was level with Norman Baker as under-sec of state. Not mentioned yet.
Burns' mugshot has gone from the DfT web site, but Baker's and Hammond's are still there!

Edit: Yes, Lady Kramer is Secretary of State, so becomes the DfT No 2 replacing Burns. (on No 10 site)
Goodwill replaces Baker.

 

[Chris125]

The BBC is reporting that Maria Eagle is being replaced as Shadow Transport Secretary.
She is quite a controversial figure and by no means universally admired, but she did bat for HS2.
My main grumble with her is that the policies she complains about (eg fares escalator and franchising) were in fact Labour policies.

A shame that, though she was sceptical to begin with she ended up a real advocate of HS2 despite all the controversy - unfortunately it seems this has rather put her at odds with Ed Balls and there was only going to be one winner. Hopefully whoever replaces her can be similarly convinced.

Chris

 

[Morgsie]

Maria has gone and Mary Creagh is now Shadow Transport

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

A shame that, though she was sceptical to begin with she ended up a real advocate of HS2 despite all the controversy - unfortunately it seems this has rather put her at odds with Ed Balls and there was only going to be one winner. Hopefully whoever replaces her can be similarly convinced.

Chris

Mary Creagh, MP for Wakefield, takes over from Maria Eagle as Shadow Transport Secretary.

 

[Morgsie]

Robert Goodwill has responsibility for HS2

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Robert Goodwill has responsibility for HS2

How old will he be when it starts ?

 

[Deerfold]

Do other countries have this silly routine of changing the people in charge constantly so there is no consistency?

It just screams of typical British short-termism which afflicts business, economics, banking, politics etc

At least we don't do what they do in the States and change all the senior civil servants with eash administration.

Or put everything except national security on hold if people can't agree a budget.

 

[Chris125]

From twitter "New Labour Shadow Transport Sect Mary Creagh tells me she backs HS2 as 'only way' to relieve congestion on rail network. But no blank cheque"

Chris

 

[David Barrett]

At least we don't do what they do in the States and change all the senior civil servants with eash administration.

Not yet anyway, but one or two in the current Government have been promoting the idea.

 

[Cheshire Rover]

Esther Mcvey to employment. Here is a little bedtime reading for her.
http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklyne...widnes-news/mp-says-12m-business-case-5862195

 

[WatcherZero]

Seems to be some confusion over the transport appointments. After the tweet of Baroness Kramer as Transport Secretary the PM's office were clarifying to journalists that it was a typo and he meant undersecretary but then it announced Robert Goodwill as undersecretary. Currently no definitive list as the Cabinet office list merely repeats the twitter feed.

Ok, word is while taking the senior post Kramer has Norman Bakers former undersecretary brief while Goodwill despite being undersecretary gets Bakers former secretary brief. So need to await some further clarification on that.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Robert Goodwill has responsibility for HS2

Apparently he is interested in restoring steam engines (the agricultural sort).
Should be plenty of opportunities for driving kettles in his new job, though maybe not on HS2.

 

[CalderRail]

...and hello to Baroness Kramer

On the downside, we lose Norman Baker, who seemed to be the first Transport Minister in years who actually cared about the job, but on the upside Transport gets Susan Kramer, who is anti-3rd Runway and wants to see more people on trains.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24427138

 

[Kettledrum]

The BBC is reporting that Maria Eagle is being replaced as Shadow Transport Secretary.
She is quite a controversial figure and by no means universally admired, but she did bat for HS2.
My main grumble with her is that the policies she complains about (eg fares escalator and franchising) were in fact Labour policies.

Eagle never sounded credible in the role to me. Of course one of her problems was the previous labour transport person was Lord Adonis who was particularly good, and Labour will have to search mighty hard to come up with someone else with that level of enthusiasm for the industry.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Eagle never sounded credible in the role to me. Of course one of her problems was the previous labour transport person was Lord Adonis who was particularly good, and Labour will have to search mighty hard to come up with someone else with that level of enthusiasm for the industry.

She seemed naive in the extreme to me and I am sure that there will be those on the Government front bench will miss having such an easy target on the Opposition benches.

 

[CalderRail]

Do other countries have this silly routine of changing the people in charge constantly so there is no consistency?

It just screams of typical British short-termism which afflicts business, economics, banking, politics etc

Actually, the Coalition has seen remarkably few changes to the roster of ministerial roles compared to previous parliaments.

Most of the cabinet ministers are still where they were when the whole affair started in 2010. Even the junior ranks haven't moved as much as they do in most parliaments. It's one of the side effects of the coalition - it's difficult to rejig the team when the two parties have to be kept balanced, and that slows the pace of change.

And yes, foreign countries have reshuffles too