It’s a big day for new Prime Minster Rishi Sunak, as he gathers his brand-new cabinet for the first time.
Only a day into the top job and he hasn’t wasted any time arranging his team, and that includes a reshuffle in transport. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who was Secretary of State for Transport between 6 September 2022 and 25 October 2022, is out, and Mark Harper is in.
Harper, who was elected MP for the Forest of Dean in May 2005, has previously held the positions of Chief Whip (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury) from May 2015 until 14 July 2016, Minister for Disabled People from July 2014 until May 2015, Minister for Immigration from September 2012 until February 2014, and Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform from May 2010 until September 2012.
With such a large task at hand, Harper doesn’t appear to seem daunted by the challenge in front of him. He took to Twitter after he was appointed, tweeting: “Transport affects us all, and I can’t want to tackle the challenges we face so we can deliver for communities across our United Kingdom.”
The rail industry has started to comment on their new representative, with Rail Partners the first to make a public statement. Chief Executive, Andy Bagnall, said: “Congratulations to Mark Harper on his appointment as Transport Secretary – Rail Partners and its members look forward to working closely with him and his wider ministerial team.”
Mark Harper qualified as a chartered accountant in 1995 with professional services network KPMG and worked until 2002 for Intel Corporation in fields including finance, business operations and marketing. He then went on to establish his own chartered accountancy firm in the Forest of Dean, where he then became an MP.
His knowledge of the intricacies of transport is unknown. As Transport Secretary he has responsibility for a general oversight of all areas, security of the sector, civil contingencies, supply chain and maritime, so there is plenty to understand – and quickly. One thing is for sure, transport is a sector than never stands still, so Mark Harper will certainly have to hit the ground running.
