Following Rishi’s reshuffle and Huw Merriman’s appointment of as Minister of State at the Department for Transport, his position as Chair of the Transport Select Committee is now up for grabs.
Several potential candidates have put themselves forward for the role (big shoes to fill, as Merriman was a popular leader), but who is looking like the front runner?
It’s difficult to comment on the candidate’s suitability, as only two have so far entered a candidate statement outlining their intentions – difficult to form a balanced opinion.
Of the two who offer an outline of a plan, Karl McCartney, a former Parliamentary Under-Secretary within the DfT(Department for Transport) notes his intention to scrutinise the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP), potential birth of GBR, Network Rail, HS2, and look closely at performance within the sector. Jack Brereton is a little more vague but offers a wider scope for transport in general.
Karl McCartney is the only candidate to declare any relevant interests (although it is debateable how relevant attending the Goodwood Revival is to chair a Transport Select Committee actually is…) and only two of the six entered a candidate statement.
The nominations period will run from 31 October to 15 November. The new Chair will be elected from the Conservative party.
So who are the potentials?
Jack Brereton
MP for Stoke-on-Trent South
Nominated by (own party)
David Morris, Mrs Sheryll Murray, Peter Gibson, Jonathan Gullis, Robbie Moore, Fiona Bruce, Shaun Bailey, Craig Tracey, James Sunderland, Aaron Bell, Kate Kniveton, Jerome Mayhew, Duncan Baker, Sir James Duddridge, Trudy Harrison
Nominated by (other parties or no party)
Chris Bryant, Gavin Robinson, Chris Evans, Alan Brown, Mohammad Yasin
Relevant interests
None
Candidate statement
I am running to be Chair of the Transport Select Committee as I believe I have the experience and knowledge needed to lead the committee. I will provide the effective but fair challenge and scrutiny that the Department for Transport, its associated public bodies, and the wider transport industry needs.
Now serving for the second time on the Transport Select Committee and having previously been the Cabinet Member responsible for transport in Stoke-on-Trent, I am well attuned with current transport policies at a local, regional and national level.
Through my time as a Councillor and now as a Member of Parliament, I have significant experience in transport at both a national and local level. I have led on transport policy in my time as a Councillor. I have previous experience on the Transport Committee over the last two Parliaments. I have a strong interest in the wider impact of transport on our constituents, the economy, and the environment. Our modern world simply would not function without it. As Chair, I will:
- Hold national organisations like National Highways, Network Rail & HS2 properly to account
- Better scrutinise operators who fail to deliver high quality transport services
- Push for improve ferry services for island and coastal communities, holding private companies, such as P&O, properly to account
- Prioritise transport investment focused on every part of the UK
- Improve links for backbenchers with the Committee and Department for Transport
- Support the continued recovery of aviation following the Covid-19 pandemic
- Work with equivalent representatives in devolved nations and regions to deliver the best possible transport connectivity for the whole of the UK
- Support local authorities to make the most of the Active Travel Fund and other Government transport funding
- Ensure the Government continues to support the development of sustainable travel
Having confronted many of the challenges faced in improving transport, I will ensure the committee is focussed on addressing the barriers to delivering the transport improvements we need. With the current difficulties facing transport, it is more important than ever we have a strong Chair that provides effective challenge and focus on the key issues of the day.
I will be a strong voice to ensure that all of us get the maximum infrastructure investment and improvements to local transport, for our communities right across the UK.
Jackie Doyle-Price
MP for Thurrock
Nominated by (own party)
Mr John Baron, Alec Shelbrooke, Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger, Mr William Wragg, Caroline Nokes, Mr David Jones, Vicky Ford, Anthony Mangnall, Mark Fletcher, Justin Tomlinson, Paul Howell, Damien Moore, Anna Firth, Tom Randall, Stephen Metcalfe
Nominated by (other parties or no party)
Mr Kevan Jones, Barbara Keeley, Bambos Charalambous, Carolyn Harris, Grahame Morris
Relevant interests
None declared
Katherine Fletcher
MP for South Ribble
Nominated by (own party)
Mark Jenkinson, Antony Higginbotham, Andy Carter, Lee Anderson, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Alok Sharma, Laura Farris, Greg Clark, Kelly Tolhurst, Nick Fletcher, Brendan Clarke-Smith, Siobhan Baillie, David Johnston, Gareth Bacon, Saqib Bhatti
Nominated by (other parties or no party)
Graham Stringer, Rosie Cooper, Florence Eshalomi
Relevant interests
None declared
Karl McCartney
MP for Lincoln
Nominated by (own party)
Lia Nici, Robert Courts, Derek Thomas, Gary Sambrook, Jason McCartney, Stephen McPartland, James Grundy, Craig Mackinlay, Henry Smith, Ben Bradley, Richard Drax, Paul Holmes, Ben Everitt, Royston Smith, Mrs Pauline Latham
Nominated by (other parties or no party)
Jamie Stone, Jim Shannon, Ben Lake, Jonathan Edwards, Sarah Champion
Relevant interests
My Register entry is clear: I have worked in various roles within the transport sector and have also attended various events, most recently ‘The Goodwood Revival’ as I have a keen interest in classic cars and the Association of Heritage Engineers and apprenticeships across the sector.
Candidate statement
I’m standing to be Chair of the Transport Select Committee and believe that I offer a credible candidature – the kind colleagues from across the political spectrum who have nominated me attest to that – due to my:
- professional 20+ year experience working across the transport sector – SRA, TfL, Copart
- eight-year membership of the Committee where I have consistently held the Government to account and stood in for the Chair on a number of occasions
- a period as a Transport Minister which gave me great insight into how the Department for Transport “works”.
Those Members from across all Parties who I’ve worked with on the Committee – and other Committees – know me to be independent of thought, fair-minded and a team player without fear nor favour from the Establishment. As Chair, these will be the principles that have guided, and will guide, how I work with my fellow Committee Members.
Transport Issues to be Addressed
It’s my belief that the key issues which require greater scrutiny from the Committee over the remainder of this Parliament are:
- Scrutiny of the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP), potential birth of GBR, Network Rail, HS2, and continuing serious performance problems with the rail network
- Balancing the move to zero emission vehicles without damaging the economy / livelihoods of the public
- The future of so called ‘smart’ motorways remains unresolved. I’ve led the campaign against them
- Continuing poor DVLA performance
- Holding the Government to account on their delivery and decision-making on key strategic infrastructure investments
- Labour shortages in the sector especially freight and the supply-chain
- How the Government will ensure the UK plays a leading role in the space industry
- The Government’s strategy to invest in our maritime industry
- Ensuring the National Bus Strategy delivers
- Securing the future of our aviation industry.
My Experience as a Transport and Parliamentary Champion
- I have been a long-time transport sector champion which has included my pre-Parliamentary experience working in the logistics sector
- I am a keen advocate of ensuring the Government, its agencies and regulators are held to account on behalf of Parliament and the public
- I will ensure the Committee continues to work on a collegiate and non-partisan basis which is why it has been effective in the past and will continue to be so in the future
- My short time as a Minister has given me great inside insight on how the Department actually “works” which would also support my role as Chair
- Transport has also been my focus in my Lincoln Constituency where I have successfully campaigned for major improvements.
My eight years as a Member of the Committee, including standing in for the Chair when required, means I have long-standing experience of the key issues, the key organisations and how to bring about much-needed scrutiny of the Government in a crucial sector that affects all our constituents and our Country’s future.
Thank you for your consideration.
Iain Stewart
MP for Milton Keynes South
Nominated by (own party)
Simon Jupp, James Morris, Amanda Milling, Dr Liam Fox, Julian Smith, David Duguid, Sir Robert Goodwill, Cherilyn Mackrory, Chris Clarkson, Stephen Hammond, Jack Lopresti, Sir Mike Penning, John Howell, Priti Patel, Sara Britcliffe
Nominated by (other parties or no party)
Mr Alistair Carmichael, Christine Jardine, Dr Lisa Cameron, John Nicolson, Lilian Greenwood
Relevant interests
None declared
