Transport secretary Louise Haigh MP has set out a new motto for the Department for Transport (DfT) and her ministerial team - 'move fast and fix things'.
Ms Haigh assembled a strong group of ministers with undoubted transport experience, including the former chair of Network Rail and commissioner of Transport for London (TfL), Lord Peter Hendy of Richmond.
He has been made a minister of state and as rail minister will be tasked with delivering on Labour’s manifesto pledge of bringing the railways under greater central and public control.
Although his industry experience is largely focused on rail, he has good experience and knowledge of transport’s ability to unlock growth and housing from his time at TfL.
Ms Haigh said on X: ‘Absolutely delighted Lord Hendy is joining my team. He brings a wealth of industry experience to this role. Looking forward to working with him to deliver the biggest overhaul to public transport in a generation!’
Left to right: Ms Greenwood, Mr Lightwood, Ms Haigh, Lord Hendy, Mr Kane
Lilian Greenwood MP has been appointed as a parliamentary under-secretary of state, with the title future of roads minister
She will be a popular choice for many in the sector, having served as the Labour MP for Nottingham South since May 2010, chaired the Transport Select Committee, and served as both shadow minister and shadow for transport secretary.
She is only too familiar with the complexity and vagaries of local roads funding, having led an inquiry on the subject for the select committee. Delivering on Labour’s promises of establishing a more stable, multi-year basis for local transport funding will be high on the department’s list of priorities.
Ms Haigh said: ‘Lilian brings significant experience from her time as an MP and work on the Transport Select Committee. I’m looking forward to working with her to deliver for passengers and improve transport in every corner of the country.’
Simon Lightwood MP was also appointed parliamentary under-secretary of state and local transport minister.
He has been an MP since June 2022 and was shadow transport minister from September that year. He has also done committee work on the Automated Vehicle Act.
Ms Haigh said: ‘Delighted to welcome @simonlightwood to the Transport team. He brings a wealth of experience and will make an excellent Under-Secretary of State.’
Mike Kane MP is the third parliamentary under-secretary of state and aviation, maritime and security minister. He is the Labour MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East and has been an MP since February 2014. He has also served as shadow transport minister since 2020.
Ms Haigh added: ‘Thrilled to welcome @MikeKaneMP to the Transport team, who has years of experience working on aviation and maritime.’
In a surprise move, there appears to be no place in the team for the former shadow roads minister Bill Esterson. Despite his hard campaigning and conspicuous efforts to meet the sector, including speaking at Traffex on the day the election was announced, he seems to have been overlooked once Labour got past the finish line.
In her first speech to the department, Ms Haigh set out a new motto for the department: ‘move fast and fix things’ in a bid to seize a ‘once in a generation opportunity to get Britain moving again’.
Outlining her priorities, she said ‘first and foremost’ she will focus on reforming the railways, then giving local leaders the ‘tools needed to deliver better bus services and grow patronage’ – likely to mean bus franchising expansion.
She also said ‘we desperately needed new transport infrastructure to better connect under-served parts of this country’.
‘Greening’ transport will be a critical thread running through her agenda, Ms Haigh said, and concluded with her desire to roll-out the kind of integrated multi-modal transport enjoyed by London, long promised to the regions but seldom delivered.
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