Network Rail 'lobbying'

[bananas]

The FT reports that "Network Rail paid almost £1mn to lobbyists who arranged meetings with top Labour figures"

Network Rail paid almost £1mn to lobbyists who arranged meetings with top Labour figures

Operator says contract with Lexington was within current rules that restrict public bodies lobbying

www.ft.com

(Non-paywall link: https://archive.ph/iJsWW)

A political consultancy that arranged meetings attended by Network Rail and senior Labour figures who are now in government was paid close to £1mn over four years by the rail operator, raising fresh questions about the adequacy of the UK’s rules banning public bodies from lobbying.

Network Rail said all of its actions were within the current rules and that it had not engaged in lobbying.

Anyone have any thoughts, or got the inside story?

 

[Carntyne]

The key line here I think.

Network Rail said: “We have never lobbied or used an agency for lobbying and are, and always have been, fully compliant with Cabinet Office rules.”

 

[bananas]

Key details from the article:

A political consultancy that arranged meetings attended by Network Rail and senior Labour figures who are now in government was paid close to £1mn over four years by the rail operator, raising fresh questions about the adequacy of the UK’s rules banning public bodies from lobbying.
Between 2021 and 2025 Network Rail, which maintains the UK’s train tracks, paid Lexington £875,000 for services that included “stakeholder engagement” and “communications” advice, according to a freedom of information request submitted by the Financial Times.
While the rail operator was a client, Lexington also arranged policy roundtables attended by senior Labour politicians, including Pat McFadden, before they entered government, two people familiar with the events said.
Network Rail executives attended the roundtables, which also featured executives from other businesses and sectors, the people added.
[…]
Network Rail said all of its actions were within the current rules and that it had not engaged in lobbying.

 

[68000]

From the Lexington website

Network Rail | Engage with Impact — Lexington

Discover how Lexington strengthens Network Rail's stakeholder communication to build confidence and reputation with strategic external affairs support.

www.lexcomm.co.uk

Building reputation and confidence through effective engagement

Since September 2021, Lexington has provided external affairs support and senior counsel to Network Rail. Recognising that a public body cannot lobby, our brief is to provide strategic advice and tactical engagement support to enhance its stakeholder engagement and communications strategy.
A more proactive stakeholder communications approach has contributed to improved satisfaction ratings amongst MPs over the last 12 months.

Key Achievements:
✔ Strengthened regional stakeholder relationships
Organised high-profile visits for CEO Andrew Haines to key cities, including Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds, and Darlington, to engage with regional mayors and industry leaders. For each visit, Lexington conducted regional research to ensure messaging aligned with local priorities.
✔ Showcased Network Rail’s role in transport decarbonisation – Supported stakeholder engagement ahead of COP26, partnering with Porterbrook to highlight the HydroFLEX hydrogen-powered train.
Visitors to the train included the Prime Minister, Prince Charles, and key community groups from across Scotland.
✔ Enhanced strategic communications
Provided senior-level counsel to shape Network Rail’s external affairs approach, ensuring it remains aligned with government priorities and industry expectations.

 

[185]

From Companies House:
Director: Michael Anthony Craven - Political Consultant

From Everydoctor, Powerbase, Opendemocracy, PRWeek, PPRuNe, SourceWatch Websites:
Lobbyist.

But don't worry, he's not lobbying....

 

[Gathursty]

I don't understand why you need to lobby someone you must surely speak to on a regular basis. I presume NR and DfT speak almost every day... if not, what on earth is going on at the top level??

 

[RAPC]

I don't understand why you need to lobby someone you must surely speak to on a regular basis. I presume NR and DfT speak almost every day... if not, what on earth is going on at the top level??

Labour weren’t in government for the period covered in the article. They didn’t have daily dealings with them, as they would with the government via DfT etc.

This will have been to engage with potential future policy makers prior to being elected.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Labour weren’t in government for the period covered in the article. They didn’t have daily dealings with them, as they would with the government via DfT etc.
This will have been to engage with potential future policy makers prior to being elected.

Such as the people who wrote the paper on which Labour's nationalisation policy is based.
And NR's then chair is now Rail Minister, and with its CEO (about to retire) have been senior figures in the GBR TT programme.

With widespread ignorance in government about the role and mandate of Network Rail, and with its very existence being questioned, I'm not surprised they wanted to influence the debate.

 

[growse]

I don't understand why you need to lobby someone you must surely speak to on a regular basis. I presume NR and DfT speak almost every day... if not, what on earth is going on at the top level??

They're not lobbying the DfT. They're lobbying the ministers, who they almost certainly don't talk to on a daily basis.

It's org structure 101. If you want to nudge your boss into treating you differently / repriororitising / whatever, take *their* boss out to lunch.

 

[Gathursty]

They're not lobbying the DfT. They're lobbying the ministers, who they almost certainly don't talk to on a daily basis.

It's org structure 101. If you want to nudge your boss into treating you differently / repriororitising / whatever, take *their* boss out to lunch.

NR shouldn't need to lobby ministers for any reason. In the lead up to a change of government, the layman would expect all election parties to have at least one meeting with NR to discuss future plans but not to entice them to come to a meeting with a slap-up meal etc...

It's not being naive. I'd expect companies like ASDA, Amazon etc.. to grease the wheel amd curry favour but NR has no rivals so to speak.

I wouldn't expect the NHS or the Army to be laying on a meal at Rick Stein's for example to get more money out of ministers. I think the public would be rightly horrified to see such things.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

It's not being naive. I'd expect companies like ASDA, Amazon etc.. to grease the wheel amd curry favour but NR has no rivals so to speak.

NR's rivals are cars and airline companies (and I'd bet motoring organisations, airlines, and car manufacturers would have no compunctions about lobbying ministers)

I wouldn't expect the NHS or the Army to be laying on a meal at Rick Stein's for example to get more money out of ministers. I think the public would be rightly horrified to see such things.

Well it depends really. If it was something like, providing meals to ministers and shadow ministers in order to curry favour, then yes most people would not approve of that. On the other hand, if it's meeting aimed at trying to make sure those politicians have a greater understanding of the industry and of what kinds of things the railways need from the Government if we are to make the railways better, then it would seem a good idea. Very hard to distinguish the two things or know which it is though.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Presumably ‘arms length’ GBR will need a commensurately larger lobbying capability once it has absorbed Network Rail and the relevant English operators?

 

[Bald Rick]

The fees paid were not for lobbying. The communications consultancy concerned does lots of other communications work, and that is what was paid for. Thats what I understand, anyway.

 

[KNN]

NR's rivals are cars and airline companies (and I'd bet motoring organisations, airlines, and car manufacturers would have no compunctions about lobbying ministers)

Indeed, it's lobbying on behalf of railway spending being included in budgets, presumably where NR is concerned that means infrastructure spending.

That is, if it happened at all.

 

[Meerkat]

The fees paid were not for lobbying. The communications consultancy concerned does lots of other communications work, and that is what was paid for. Thats what I understand, anyway.

It’s a misleading article.
One of the quotes above says that they organised round table meetings which were attended by various people including NR executives and Labour people. Which is very different from organising a meeting between just the NR executives and the Labour people.
I also note that it states two facts - NR pay the company for services, and the company organised the roundtable meetings - but it does not say that those meetings were paid for by NR as part of the services.

 

[Scanderina]

It’s a misleading article.
One of the quotes above says that they organised round table meetings which were attended by various people including NR executives and Labour people. Which is very different from organising a meeting between just the NR executives and the Labour people.
I also note that it states two facts - NR pay the company for services, and the company organised the roundtable meetings - but it does not say that those meetings were paid for by NR as part of the services.

That is truly a distinction without difference

 

[Meerkat]

That is truly a distinction without difference

what is?

 

[Backroom_boy]

I wouldn't expect the NHS or the Army to be laying on a meal at Rick Stein's for example to get more money out of ministers. I think the public would be rightly horrified to see such things.

I know what you mean but I can guarantee the army wine and dine senior politicians in the grand surroundings of a senior officers mess