UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Transportation

  • Sam Tarry – 2021 Comments on National Bus Strategy

    Sam Tarry – 2021 Comments on National Bus Strategy

    The comments made by Sam Tarry, the Shadow Bus Minister, on 15 March 2021.

    This so-called strategy offers nothing for those who were looking for a bold vision to reverse the millions of miles of bus routes lost across the country.

    People will be wondering when they return to work whether there will be enough affordable and regular buses for their daily commute.

    The Tories said deregulation would improve our buses but they’re running bus services into the ground. Passengers now face a toxic mix of rising fares, cuts to services and reduced access.

    The Government must do more to protect this crucial sector – not least given we’ve already seen more than 1,000 jobs lost in the bus and coach manufacturing industry alone since the pandemic started.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2021 Comments on the Hope Valley Line

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2021 Comments on the Hope Valley Line

    The comments made by Chris Heaton-Harris, the Rail Minister, on 11 March 2021.

    I am delighted to confirm £137 million for this scheme to remove bottlenecks on the Hope Valley line, transforming journeys between Sheffield and Manchester – 2 dynamic Northern Powerhouse cities.

    We are committed to levelling up infrastructure across the North, and these important upgrades will make a huge difference to passengers, providing the punctual, reliable services they deserve, as we build back better from COVID-19.

  • Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Zero Emission Vehicles

    Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Zero Emission Vehicles

    The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 10 March 2021.

    Investing in innovation is crucial in decarbonising transport, which is why I’m delighted to see creative zero-emission projects across the UK come to life.

    The funding announced today will help harness some of the brightest talent in the UK tech industry, encouraging businesses to become global leaders in EV innovation, creating jobs and accelerating us towards our net-zero ambitions.

  • Andy McDonald – 2021 Speech on Uber

    Andy McDonald – 2021 Speech on Uber

    The speech made by Andy McDonald, the Labour MP for Middlesbrough, in the House of Commons on 24 February 2021.

    Last Friday’s Supreme Court ruling on Uber was a landmark victory for working people, and testament to the hard work of the GMB union, the App Drivers and Couriers Union and the drivers who brought the action. It rejected Uber’s bogus claim that its drivers are self-employed, ruling instead that they are workers and therefore entitled to basic rights that they have so far been denied, such at the national minimum wage and holiday pay. The ruling has far-reaching consequences for tens of thousands of Uber drivers as well as all gig economy workers.

    Yet Uber is attempting to dodge the Supreme Court’s ruling, just as it attempts to dodge its responsibilities to its drivers, by trying to interpret the ruling so that it applies to only a tiny minority of its workforce. If Uber ignores the ruling, tens of thousands of workers will be cheated out of their rights, forcing low-paid and precarious workers to spend time and money that they can ill afford in order to litigate to recover withheld wages, in cases that they will likely win but will take years to conclude. The Government should not abandon working people to fight for their rights in the courts, so will the Minister take this opportunity to make it clear that the judgment applies to all Uber drivers, and that the company cannot continue to cheat its drivers out of their basic rights?

    Even before the pandemic, one in 10 working adults—around 5 million—were found to be working in the gig economy, in fragile and insecure work, and with one-sided flexibility. It is bad for those workers, bad for the economy and, as we have seen from the pandemic, a disaster for public health. Will the Minister confirm that the principles of the judgment in the Uber case must apply not only to all Uber drivers, but to all those on similar arrangements across the country?

    Let me say again that the Government cannot abrogate their responsibility by telling workers to fight for their basic protection through an employment tribunal system that barely functions following a decade of neglect. Working people need a Government who will stand behind them, so will the Minister commit now to legislate to end bogus self-employment and provide security to all gig economy workers?

  • Paul Scully – 2021 Statement on Uber

    Paul Scully – 2021 Statement on Uber

    The statement made by Paul Scully, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in the House of Commons on 24 February 2021.

    I want to begin by making it absolutely clear that everyone deserves to be treated fairly at work and rewarded for their contribution to the economy with both fair pay and fair working conditions. This means that employers must take their responsibilities seriously, not simply opt out of them. If there is a dispute between the individual and an employer, as seen in the recent case involving Uber, the courts consider each case on an individual basis. The courts are independent and the Government do not intervene. As such, with the Supreme Court being the final stage of the appeal, its judgment is final and Uber will need to take action to align with the judgment.

    The Government recognise concerns about employment status being unclear in some cases, and we are committed to making it easier for individuals and businesses to understand which rights and tax obligations apply to them. We have made good progress in bringing forward measures that add flexibility for workers while ensuring the protection of employment rights. For example, we have legislated to extend the right to a written statement of core terms of employment to all workers, making access to a written statement a day one right and extending the contents of a written statement. We have also banned the use of exclusivity contracts and zero-hours contracts to give workers more flexibility. This means an employer cannot stop an individual on a zero-hours contract from looking for, or accepting work from, another employer. We will continue to explore options for employment status that protect rights while also maintaining flexibility in the labour market. This Government have a proud history of protecting and enhancing workers’ rights, and we are committed to making the UK the best place in the world to work.

  • Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Ghost Flights

    Grant Shapps – 2021 Comments on Ghost Flights

    The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 26 February 2021.

    I want to restart international travel as soon as it is safe and the slots waiver is a critical part of making that happen.

    With airlines flying a smaller proportion of their usual schedules, the waiver means carriers can reserve their finances, reduce the need for environmentally damaging ‘ghost flights’ and allow normal services to immediately restart when the pandemic allows.

  • Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Smart Motorways

    Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Smart Motorways

    The comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Transport Secretary, on 26 February 2021.

    Dozens of people have lost their lives on smart motorways, so this investigation is welcome. Ministers must act now and do what Labour has called for – reinstate the hard shoulder while a full review is carried out and the results brought back to the Commons.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2021 Comments on Net Zero Emissions from Cars

    Kerry McCarthy – 2021 Comments on Net Zero Emissions from Cars

    The comments made by Kerry McCarthy, the Shadow Minister for Green Transport, on 26 February 2021.

    The NAO is absolutely right to call for a clear plan from the Government in reaching net zero emissions from cars.

    Transport is the largest contributor to UK emissions, yet the Government doesn’t even have a plan to ensure that we will be ready for the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030, let alone zero emissions by 2050.

    Labour’s Green Recovery plan would prioritise building zero emission vehicles in the UK and rapidly rolling out the charging infrastructure required for a smooth transition to cleaner transport.

  • Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Smart Motorways

    Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Smart Motorways

    The comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, on 21 February 2021.

    It’s a tragedy that so many have lost their lives on smart motorways. There can be no more dither and delay – ministers must take action now to reinstate the hard shoulder to prevent more deaths and urgently report on the results of the evidence review.

  • Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Pothole Repair Funds

    Jim McMahon – 2021 Comments on Pothole Repair Funds

    The comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, on 15 February 2021.

    The reality is there is an £11bn pothole backlog across the country which will take more than a decade to fix.

    Rehashed announcements from last year won’t repair our roads. The Government needs to recognise the scale of the problem and fund local services properly, not force councils into economically illiterate tax hikes.