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Southern Rail STRIKE details
- Thread starter Ernest
- Start date
I don't really, although Bishops are held in much higher regard than a football club.
Beach Hut
Brighton Bhuna Boy
Probably the most sensible post ever from you
Hotchilidog
Well-known member
- Jan 24, 2009
- 9,120
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,321
Lovely thing is that none of these politicians are quite as smart as they like to think they are. The sheer weight of public and media pressure always brings them down in the end. This particular dispute is going to drag a few down with him. IMHO, like
Tony Meolas Loan Spell
Slut Faced Whores
I know its going to upset people on here but the majority of the South East is Tory (Im putting aside the generation snowflake brigade) but it is.
Interesting how many Tory voters this must be pissing off...yet still they continue to ignore it. Amazing.
Insel affe
HellBilly
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling blocked takeover of London's suburban rail routes to keep trains out of Labour's control, leaked letter reveals..
The Transport Secretary was today accused of putting party politics ahead of commuters after a leaked letter revealed he opposed handing over control of suburban rail to keep it “out of the clutches” of Labour.
Chris Grayling formally rejected Sadiq Khan’s bid to take over commuter routes yesterday when he dismissed the plan as “deckchair shifting” with no real improvement for passengers.
But in a letter written before the new Mayor took over, he admitted he was against rail devolution to keep services away from any future Labour mayor, rather than because of the impact on commuters.
In the private note sent to former mayor Boris Johnson three years ago he claimed he had “no fears” over the future of services if the Tories were still running City Hall.
Mr Grayling was writing as a South East MP although he was Justice Secretary at the time so would have had a seat at the Cabinet table where any decision on rail devolution would be approved.
Mr Khan warned that commuters were “far, far more important” than “playing party politics” over the future of suburban rail.
His deputy mayor for transport claimed there was now “just one man” standing in the way of Transport for London taking over the beleaguered commuter routes.
Rail devolution has cross-party support from MPs, councils and the London Assembly, as well as Conservative councils outside London including Surrey, Mr Grayling’s own local authority.
Chris Grayling admitted years ago that he wanted to keep control of trains out of Labour's hands
But in his letter, sent in April 2013, Mr Grayling told Mr Johnson: “While I am generally a great supporter of what you are doing in London, I would not be in favour of changing the current arrangements.
“Not because I have any fears over the immediate future, but because I would like to keep suburban rail services out of the clutches of any future Labour mayor”.
He added that he did not want MPs and local authorities just outside London to lose their remit over train services in their areas if TfL took over.
Writing in today’s Standard about Mr Grayling’s decision, Mr Khan said: “If I’m honest, I simply do not understand why the Government is now so vehemently opposed to improving suburban rail services in London.
“I sincerely hope it is not because they are reluctant to give control of these lines to a Labour mayor – commuters’ lives are far, far more important than party politics.”
Earlier this year, Mr Johnson and Patrick McLoughlin, Mr Grayling’s predecessor as transport secretary, announced TfL would take control of suburban rail as each franchise came up for renewal.
Mr Johnson, who had long campaigned for devolution of services, hailed the deal as a victory.
Mr McLoughlin said the “new partnership” – under which TfL and the DfT were expected to set up a joint management team – was a “huge opportunity” to improve the lives of passengers.
Aides to both men denied the announcement was an empty promise designed simply to boost Tory chances in the upcoming mayoral race.
Eltham MP Clive Efford, a member of the House of Commons transport committee, told the Standard: “The Transport Secretary’s mask has slipped and his true motives are now clear.
“He is clearly putting party politics above the needs of desperate commuters who are suffering from an abysmal service.
“This betrayal of commuters is particularly poor because rail devolution is supported by politicians from all parties – including Conservative MPs and councils inside and outside London.
“There is only one way Chris Grayling can put this right – he must devolve control of Southeastern services to TfL to ensure commuters in constituencies like mine get a more frequent, reliable and affordable service.”
Mr Grayling told MPs yesterday he had concerns over what impact a major reorganisation of suburban rail would have on commuters.
He suggested that TfL taking over franchises would not necessarily mean more frequent services and raised the issue of democratic accountability on routes which went outside London’s boundaries.
A Government source said: “The Mayor’s business plan promised a big reorganisation but no extra capacity. There are real issues about giving the Mayor control over services to places outside London, when those living there can’t vote for him.”
Tory former minister Bob Neill called on Mr Grayling to stand down saying he had “lost confidence” in him as Transport Secretary.
The Bromley and Chislehurst MP told the Standard: “My discussions with him indicate to me that he’s acted for party reasons and not acted in the interests of London commuters.
“It’s pretty clear that he has a dogmatic opposition to rail devolution and I don’t think that’s a legitimate basis on which to take a decision.
“It demonstrates that he’s acted extremely badly. I don’t have confidence any more in him as Secretary of State”
Hotchilidog
Well-known member
- Jan 24, 2009
- 9,120
A lot of tory voters to the east seem to be voicing their concerns, I could see Lewes and Eastbourne return to the Lib Dems at this rate and at least Maria Caulfield in Lewes is actively trying to do something as a result. Stunned at the indifference of West and Mid Sussex tory MPs whose constituents have been hammered by this.
Insel affe
HellBilly
Agree, you would think they would be sitting up and listening, I mean Brexit, Trump this is exactly the kind of catalyst for pissed off Tory voters in Surrey, Kent and Sussex voting for an alternative.
crookie
Well-known member
He won't be missed. Massively flanked his first proper challenge. Should have brought this dispute to resolution weeks ago. Now handing out millions of pounds of taxpayers money in compo because of his departments failureLovely thing is that none of these politicians are quite as smart as they like to think they are. The sheer weight of public and media pressure always brings them down in the end. This particular dispute is going to drag a few down with him. IMHO, like
Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk
It's because their majorities are so big it doesn't matter if they lose a few thousand over this: the only one who might worry is Henry Smith in Crawley (I'm assuming Kirby is a goner anyway, he's been spectacularly useless). It's noticeable how active Caulfield has been, she must really fear a resurgent Lib Dem vote in Lewes
Tony Meolas Loan Spell
Slut Faced Whores
No Im saying that there are votes to be had here and people have long memories. A decent opposition would be making all sorts of noises about it.
What the blue blazes
?!!!!!! (rubs eyes expecting the text to change). Hurrah Sir! We can all move towards a middle ground 
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,321
Tory voters tend to assume that bad things only happen to people 'less deserving' than themselves. And now it's happening wholesale, indiscriminately to them. Not since the Thatcher years has devastation been so maliciously reaped on an entire region like this. Who knows why? Maybe we're being punished for daring to elect a Green MP and a Labour MP. Whatever, it's going to backfire on them bigtime. Might take a while, but there's a few careers on the wrong side of the argument going to crash and burn over this.
Tony Meolas Loan Spell
Slut Faced Whores
I wonder what happened to the *other* TWENTY MILLION they gave SASTA to sort this out!
Tony Meolas Loan Spell
Slut Faced Whores
If it was Brighton and Hove I would almost agree with you there...but its half of the South East here and some Tory heartlands.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,321
All the better. Maybe shake up some of these smug shoe-ins, make them feel a bit of electoral threat. Pretty sure most of them are now being bombarded daily with Southern-related messages, most of them fairly heated and telling them to get involved and sort it out. It's all good.
You could put a blue rosette on Jimmy Saville and Mid Sussex would vote for him. Fatty Soames is in the safest of safe seats, he doesn't need to do a thing.
Simon Kirby's a useless shitehawk and is on his way out, so he is going to tow the party line in hope of being moved to a nice cushy seat.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
She's suffered herself trying to get round her constituency and to work in Westminster.