Contributions
1,819 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRail StrikesNo. The choice is clear: we can stick with the same old failed model, which makes the railways uncompetitive and jeopardises thousands of jobs as people abandon the rail network,…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesI would welcome guidance on a very serious point, Madam Deputy Speaker. I thought that Members had to point to the Register of Members’ Financial Interests when they speak in this…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesMy hon. Friend is right to point that out. If I am honest, I am more worried about the rail card that the general secretary gets with his job than about his salary, because he…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesI am pleased that I have now taken the hon. Lady’s intervention. This is a debate about the national strikes, rather than the future funding of TfL, but since she asks, we have…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesMy hon. Friend has nailed it. It is completely unfair, it is totally the wrong timing. It should not be happening and the whole House would appreciate Labour Members saying more…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesEvery possible alleviation that can be made should be made. I have not seen that particular proposal, but obviously the Mayor will need to look at it. It is extraordinary that…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesMy right hon. Friend is absolutely right. Thousands of children are taking those 17 public exams, including my daughter, whose transport to get to the exams will be complicated by…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is inexplicable how those in the party who style themselves as the workers’ party do not seem to care about the fact that anyone who is…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesI thank the right hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I know that it is probably on his record, but for the clarity of this debate let me note that he has £25,000 from the RMT. I…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesAgain, I will make a little progress. Of course for others who have no option but to travel, the strikes will mean huge disruption. They will mean thousands of people not being…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesI will make a little more progress and then I will take a couple more interventions. That brings me to the motion. Instead of having proper negotiations with the train companies…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesMy right hon. Friend is absolutely right to point that out. Just as the railways and the country are recovering—after two years of being locked down, with many of our constituents…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesNetwork Rail runs the infrastructure and 14 train operating companies are the employers, and they are meeting on a daily basis. But that has not prevented the unions from…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesThis is Labour’s level of understanding. There is a Network Rail company that runs the infrastructure —[Interruption.]15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesFirst, it will interest the House to know—this is in direct answer to the question—that the negotiations and talks are going on almost every day.15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesI think my hon. Friend the Member for West Dorset (Chris Loder) is a former union member, possibly even a former RMT member. He worked on the railways, so he knows what he is…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesI will make a little progress before taking further interventions. We need the industry to help with this transformation. We cannot ignore working practices that are stuck 50 or…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesMy hon. Friend the Member for Kensington (Felicity Buchan) is absolutely right. We provided £5 billion to Transport for London, and we have not seen the required level of savings.…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesI hear what the hon. Lady says. The Leader of the Opposition claims to care deeply about this issue, yet he is not with us today. [Hon. Members: “Where is the Prime Minister?”]…15 Jun 2022HANSARDRail StrikesMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. These discussions were under way when, suddenly, the union decided to ballot its members, incorrectly telling them that a strike would get them…15 Jun 2022