Christine Quigley’s Post

Roger Bootle in today's Telegraph makes the case for pay-per-mile road pricing. This is a great idea, so great in fact that it has often been proposed in the past. It has many advantages. To start with, it's fairer. Why should light road users pay the same as those who are up and down motorways every day? But more importantly, it would distribute road capacity more efficiently, leading to less congestion and faster road journeys, causing less pollution. It would also shift the costs of motoring from a fixed to a marginal basis so that the unfair comparison with rail on a journey-by-journey basis would change in rail's favour. I'd love to see the rail industry making the case for policies which affect it right across the economy and society, but in my lifetime it has been reticent to fight its corner in public (notwithstanding the great work of eg RIA and Rail Partners). I hope GBR will be sufficiently strong, confident and outward-looking to advocate bold policies like this. I fear it will be a quiescent Network Rail with a few lapsed TOCs bolted on.

Thanks Transport Times | News & Analysis | Events for sharing our insight piece on Labour's victory and what it means for the transport industry 🚆 🚌 #GE2024 #Transport #WomenInTransport #TransportPlanning #Rail #PublicAffairs

Ahead of the firm's upcoming Top Table Lunch with Juergen Maier on 9 July the rail team are releasing four briefing notes to set out key issues still to be explored and developed in relation to the Labour Party's policy for rail.   This third briefing considers the interplay between GBR and nationalisation generally and how that might work with the Labour party's plans to devolve more powers to devolved authorities. Read the full article below. #transportationandtrade #railandroad

How do the Labour Party plans for nationalisation of operations fit with devolution for the railways? With the UK election on Thursday, now is the time to check out the third in our series of briefing papers on the Labour Party's policy for rail - and see what might come next. #transportationandtrade #railandroad Caroline Hooton, Darren Fodey, Suzanne Tarplee

The first King’s Speech of the new Labour Government, setting out the legislative priorities for the year ahead in Parliament. It’s a whistle stop tour of the new Government’s key priorities, but we have known for some time that many of Labour’s flagship manifesto promises would be included within this King’s Speech. It’s a clear indication of the direction that this Government will be taking, with the Prime Minister stating his intention to “take the brakes off Britain”. Click the link below for my roundup of the announcements within the King’s Speech that are most relevant to the built environment sector. #planning #builtenvironment #housing #development #infrastructure #energy #transport #devolution

A new day means a new update on what is going on across the pond in the realm of U.K. politics! Here is a brief summary of the top line issues at hand in Britain today: 📜 The King's Speech will be delivered in Parliament tomorrow, outlining the priorities of Prime Minister Starmer's government. It is expected to include 35 draft pieces of legislation, including measures on illegal immigration, worker's rights, the establishment of GB Energy, housing, nationalizing railways, devolution to local councils, and online safety. 🛡 The Labour government is launching a strategic defence review that will consider the current state of the armed forces, the threats the UK faces, and the capabilities needed to address them. After extensive public and stakeholder consultations, the review will deliver its findings in early 2025. 🛳 The UK's Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, is set to attend a G7 trade ministers meeting in Italy this week, stating that the UK is "seeking a closer, more mature, more level-headed relationship with our friends in the European Union". Prime Minister Starmer hosts EU leaders in the UK on Thursday for a European Political Community Summit. 🏙 Local councils are set to gain more powers in tomorrow's King's Speech, according to Angela Rayner, who has dubbed the move as a "devolution revolution". Mayors and councils are expected to gain more control over skills, energy, planning and transport. https://lnkd.in/gRMWxs4h #UKpolitics #UKpoli #UK #politics #policy #trade #EU #international #news #update #brief #cdnpoli

In response to today’s (10 June 2024) publication of the Liberal Democrats’ General Election Manifesto, Kevin Green, Policy Director at Logistics UK said: “The Liberal Democrats rightly recognise in their manifesto the importance of growing the economy, including by partnering with business, enabling the transition to electric vehicles, delivering rail freight electrification, reforming the apprenticeship levy and removing barriers to trade. It is also positive that the Lib Dems want to see infrastructure needs integrated into local planning. “However, to unleash the power of logistics to drive growth, it is vital for the incoming government to go further, with the appointment of a dedicated minister for logistics and supply chain, the establishment of a logistics roadmap to net zero, and the delivery of a national logistics network, which covers all transport modes and infrastructure to optimise the movement of goods. This must recognise rather than inhibit the value of air freight to the UK’s economy, both domestically and internationally. “It is important that the next government recognises and addresses the high cost of doing business which is inhibiting investment in decarbonisation and growth for our sector."  

"(Prime Minister Keir) Starmer announced 'the era of politics as performance and self-interest above service is over'." "... King's speech, written by the government, also tried to set a new tone to British politics, promoting service rather than self interest, something that Labour says took root over 14 years of often chaotic Conservative Party rule. 'My government will govern in service to the country,' said (King) Charles (III), wearing a crimson and white robe and the Imperial State crown. 'My government's legislative programme will be mission-led and based on the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all.' " "The package of more than 35 bills will focus on growing the economy, reforming planning laws to make it easier to build homes and speeding up the delivery of major infrastructure projects, improving transport and creating jobs. ... HOUSING, INFRASTRUCTURE The government announced legislation to 'speed up and streamline the planning process' to help address Britain's acute housing shortage and the long delays that dog infrastructure projects. With the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government signalled it would restrict the ability of local people to block new developments, saying there would be 'democratic engagement with how, not if, homes and infrastructure are built'. The government also set out plans to gradually renationalise the passenger rail network and set affordable fares to draw people back on to trains by handing the state control of rail contracts held by private companies, once they have expired. This decision would mostly reverse the privatisation of the railways conducted in the 1990s by the then-Conservative government. The speech also made clear the government's drive to reset relations with the European Union after years of Brexit rancour, with the king saying his ministers 'will seek a new security pact to strengthen cooperation'." Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, Elizabeth Piper and Alistair Smout, additional reporting by Sarah Young, James Davey, Muvija M and Kate Holton; Editing by Janet Lawrence, King Charles Sets Out New Labour Government's Priorities, 𝘙𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 17 July 2024, https://lnkd.in/gab_VNKA

In our latest insight article, Dr Stuart Thomson, Founder of CWE Communications dissects Labour's rail reform plans. "Labour's plans for changes to the railways received significant media attention. Whilst the number of bus journeys is huge, rail dominates attention. By developing a plan for rail, Labour has taken back control of the transport debate."   Read our latest insight article here https://bit.ly/3JG7l4g

King announces Government will launch Great British Railways The King has announced legislation that will lead to the establishment of Great British Railways during his State Opening of Parliament. His Majesty King Charles III addressed Parliament earlier today, setting out the legislative programme for the new Session of #Parliament and outlining the new #Government’s priorities for the coming year. The King announced that the Government will indeed proceed with the long-anticipated launch of Great British Railways, which will see the UK’s #private #railoperators back into public ownership as their contracts expire. He said: “My ministers will bring forward #legislation to improve the #railways by reforming rail #franchising, establishing #GreatBritishRailways and bringing train operators into #publicownership.” Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh MP, who was in attendance as MPs joined the King in the House of Lords, will now lead her department in the delivery of Labour’s long-touted vision for the #railindustry. Ms Haigh had previously commented: “The Labour Party will sweep away the broken #model and bring private operators into public ownership as their #contracts expire. “We will establish Great British Railways, a single directing mind to control our railways in the passenger interest.” “Neither the #passenger nor the #taxpayer can afford for things to continue like this – throwing good money after bad at a system that simply isn’t delivering.” The Transport Secretary has already met with representatives of the worst performing Train Operating Companies as she seeks to lead an upturn in performance on the #railnetwork. Railway Industry Association Chief Executive Darren Caplan reacted to the King’s Speech, saying: “RIA and our members support the Government’s pledge to establish a reformed and unified railway system under Great British Railways focused on improving affordability, reliability and performance. “A new body with strategic oversight and responsibility for rail can focus on meeting growing passenger demand and boosting industry revenues.” Source: https://lnkd.in/eaHYQS4Y