She was someone Tony Blair could not shut up. The death of Gwyneth Dunwoody deprives public transport of its greatest parliamentary champion.
As chairman of the transport select committee, Mrs Dunwoody had a real impact in influencing ministerial decisions and in shaping legislation, undoubtedly saving lives on the roads.
But her refusal to toe the party line irritated government whips, and in 2001, they tried to sack her. Their clumsy move spectacularly backfired.
Backbenchers rallied behind her, threatening Blair with his biggest-ever parliamentary revolt. The whips were forced to back down, humiliated. Mrs Dunwoody survived, more secure in her job than before, and as awkward as ever.
She struck terror into witnesses who appeared before her committee, especially if they lacked evidence to back their assertions. Cabinet ministers did not get off lightly either. Ruth Kelly must have thought she was back at school, about to be punished by her headmistress for breaking the school rules, when she first appeared before the committee just days after being appointed transport secretary.
The MPs had spent the past few weeks examining the draft Local Transport Bill, calling in witnesses to get their views, the idea being to improve it before its passage through parliament. But, at the very last session, Kelly showed up and calmly announced new proposals and a further round of consultation. Mrs Dunwoody exploded, and in its report to parliament, the committee rebuked Ms Kelly.
It said: ‘It is extremely bad practice for the Government to announce, in the middle of its own consultation and at the end of our inquiry, another consultation on matters which are included in the draft Bill.’
Mrs Dunwoody herself had brief ministerial experience, as a junior trade minister under Harold Wilson. She had a spell as shadow transport minister during Labour’s years in the political wilderness, but was too unfashionably ‘old Labour’ to find favour with the Blair Government. But her exclusion from the front bench enabled her to emerge as one of parliament’s greatest champions.
Ms Kelly still has to cope with one of her legacies. The committee’s latest report welcomed the extension of free bus travel for the over-60s across England, but remarked there was ‘no such thing as a free lunch’, and suggested the Government should commission an evaluation to see whether the £1bn a year cost represented value for money.
David Rose is a journalist specialising in Parliamentary affairs
Register now for full access
Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.
Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors.
Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.
Already a registered? Login
