Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail / Great British Railways

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

Delayed until 2024....but with the General Election no later than January 2025, will it ever surface? Now would be a god time for Labour to tell us their ideas....they won't though.

[PhilWakely]

Delayed until 2024....but with the General Election no later than January 2025, will it ever surface? Now would be a good time for Labour to tell us their ideas....they won't though.

Similar to 1997, it is almost as if the Tories will deliberately leave Labour in an impossible position. I don't think Labour can tell us what they'll do as the economy will be so devastated they won't be able to do exactly what they want.

[TonyK]

Delayed until 2024....but with the General Election no later than January 2025, will it ever surface? Now would be a good time for Labour to tell us their ideas....they won't though.

Similar to 1997, it is almost as if the Tories will deliberately leave Labour in an impossible position. I don't think Labour can tell us what they'll do as the economy will be so devastated they won't be able to do exactly what they want.

Wasn't it Alistair Darling who left the note for incoming Chancellor George Osborne saying that he was sorry, but the money was all gone? The next Chancellor is likely to be less fortunate, and get a note saying the national credit card is max'd out, or at least the outgoing incumbent (is outcumbent a word?) thinks it is, but he's been burning the statements without opening them for the past year or two. Whoever gets the gig will have a tough time of getting things into some semblance of order, and I can't see new capital projects being first on the agenda. It would be wrong to cancel things already under way, or to bog down approved plans in interminable reviews, but any incoming administration would be advised to take stock before reaching for the cheque book. Governments don't actually have money other than what we hand over, and we might be down on our collective luck when the day comes.

GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) isn't far off the ground yet, just the X-Factor competition to choose a home so far, something Eurovision does much better. I can't imagine it would be seen as a pressing matter in the life of this parliament, however many days that may be, and it will be a small part of any party manifesto commitment to renationalise the railways officially. I doubt very much that we will see protests demanding its introduction in place of Network Rail, with retired vicars and librarians sellotaping themselves to stations or suchlike.

Meanwhile, Grant Shapps has been brought in to breathe new life into the Home Office, or at least some life. I'm not expecting miracles there, just the usual promise to reduce illegal migration, followed by an increase in illegal migration. He worked his ticket at DfT^» (Department for Transport - about). I'm sure he can do that again, it won't be for long.

[TaplowGreen]

Delayed until 2024....but with the General Election no later than January 2025, will it ever surface? Now would be a good time for Labour to tell us their ideas....they won't though.

Similar to 1997, it is almost as if the Tories will deliberately leave Labour in an impossible position. I don't think Labour can tell us what they'll do as the economy will be so devastated they won't be able to do exactly what they want.

Wasn't it Alistair Darling who left the note for incoming Chancellor George Osborne saying that he was sorry, but the money was all gone? The next Chancellor is likely to be less fortunate, and get a note saying the national credit card is max'd out, or at least the outgoing incumbent (is outcumbent a word?) thinks it is, but he's been burning the statements without opening them for the past year or two. Whoever gets the gig will have a tough time of getting things into some semblance of order, and I can't see new capital projects being first on the agenda. It would be wrong to cancel things already under way, or to bog down approved plans in interminable reviews, but any incoming administration would be advised to take stock before reaching for the cheque book. Governments don't actually have money other than what we hand over, and we might be down on our collective luck when the day comes.

GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) isn't far off the ground yet, just the X-Factor competition to choose a home so far, something Eurovision does much better. I can't imagine it would be seen as a pressing matter in the life of this parliament, however many days that may be, and it will be a small part of any party manifesto commitment to renationalise the railways officially. I doubt very much that we will see protests demanding its introduction in place of Network Rail, with retired vicars and librarians sellotaping themselves to stations or suchlike.

Meanwhile, Grant Shapps has been brought in to breathe new life into the Home Office, or at least some life. I'm not expecting miracles there, just the usual promise to reduce illegal migration, followed by an increase in illegal migration. He worked his ticket at DfT^» (Department for Transport - about). I'm sure he can do that again, it won't be for long.

It was Liam Byrne, not Alistair Darling.

[Bmblbzzz]

... the outgoing incumbent (is outcumbent a word?)

Excumbent? Though in the case of some, a more appropriate word might be cucumbent.

I doubt very much that we will see protests demanding its introduction in place of Network Rail, with retired vicars and librarians sellotaping themselves to stations or suchlike.

Sellotape ruins books! Librarians would use Pritt Stick, or perhaps a particularly strong Post-It note.

[TonyK]

It was Liam Byrne, not Alistair Darling.

I am indebted. I don't like to cast nasturtiums at the wrong person.