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Tag: Comments

  • Mick Lynch – 2022 Comments on the Carmont Tragedy

    Mick Lynch – 2022 Comments on the Carmont Tragedy

    The comments made by Mick Lynch, the General Secretary of the RMT, on 12 August 2022.

    We are extremely concerned that Network Rail is dragging its feet dangerously on key safety recommendations following the Carmont Rail Tragedy.

    In fact, instead of focusing on improving rail safety, it is proposing to make matters even worse by cutting thousands of safety critical jobs across the network.

    Our railways do not need safety cuts which will make it more likely tragedies like Carmont will happen again.

    Network Rail needs to act on safety recommendations and swiftly reverse its safety critical jobs cull.

  • Mick Lynch – 2022 Comments on Strikes on the Tube and Overground

    Mick Lynch – 2022 Comments on Strikes on the Tube and Overground

    The comments made by Mick Lynch, the General Secretary of the RMT, on 18 August 2022.

    Tube bosses are having secret negotiations with the government about slashing jobs and undermining working conditions and pensions all in the name of removing subsidies.

    This government-led assault on staff will be disastrous as no other comparable urban transport system in the world operates without financial support from central government to ensure good and reliable services.

    The government needs to stop trying to get services on the cheap by slashing jobs and wages and invest in what should be a world class transport network.

  • Mick Lynch – 2022 Comments on Fire and Re-Hire Proposals

    Mick Lynch – 2022 Comments on Fire and Re-Hire Proposals

    The comments made by Mick Lynch, the General Secretary of the RMT, on 19 August 2022.

    Despite his denials Mr Shapps has clearly been dictating how the train companies should conduct negotiations with RMT and now he’s ordering them to fire and re-hire workers.

    The minister also appears to be increasingly desperate and out-of-touch making wild claims about train services between London and Manchester without having a clue what is actually happening.

    Instead of threatening to cut thousands of safety-critical jobs, introducing driver-only trains, closing ticket offices, bailing out the private rail companies as well as bringing in more anti-union laws the government and the employers should enter meaningful negotiations with RMT.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Statement on London Underground Strikes

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Statement on London Underground Strikes

    The statement made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 19 August 2022.

    I am extremely frustrated by the strike action today on London Underground. This will have a serious impact on London’s businesses and commuters, at a time when we’re working to get more passengers back on to the network and boost the capital’s economic recovery.

    TfL have done everything they can to avoid this disruption going ahead and I’ve urged the unions to call off this action and to work with TfL to lobby the Government for a long-term funding deal that is fair to Londoners and our heroic transport workers.

    I encourage Londoners to listen to TfL’s latest travel advice and avoid travelling on the Underground, and only travel if essential on the rest of the network.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Londoners and Exam Results

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Londoners and Exam Results

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 18 August 2022.

    I would like to congratulate all Londoners receiving their A-Level, T-Level and BTEC results today. Students have faced unprecedented challenges on their educational journeys over the past two years, and I admire and applaud the dedication, resilience and hard work that they and their teachers have demonstrated. If you haven’t received the results you hoped for, please be reassured that there are many potential paths ahead, so I urge you to speak with your teachers, parents, carers or guardians about your options.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Keeping Young Londoners Away from Gangs

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Keeping Young Londoners Away from Gangs

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 17 August 2022.

    I know that one-to-one support can make a huge difference in a young person’s life and mean the difference between them fulfilling their potential or being lured into the trap of violence and criminality.

    I’m proud that our London Gang Exit programme is making a real difference and has already helped hundreds of young people leave or significantly reduce their involvement in criminal gangs. That’s why I am investing even more in this programme to help tackle violence and support young Londoners at risk of exploitation as they turn their lives around.

    But gang violence still accounts for too much of the most serious violence in London and I am concerned about a potential increase in violence this summer as the cost of living crisis deepens and threatens to reverse the progress we have made in tackling violent crime. Violence, like poverty, is not inevitable and the Government must now do much more to show it shares my commitment to building a fairer, safer London for all.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Londoners Facing Fuel Poverty

    Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Londoners Facing Fuel Poverty

    The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 17 August 2022.

    Many Londoners don’t know how they are going to keep warm this winter. Some don’t know how they will feed their children. This is a crisis and the Government needs to get serious. That is why I am calling on Ministers to convene Cobra, act on calls to stop energy bills from rising and for the introduction of an emergency Lifeline Tariff to ensure the most vulnerable Londoners are able to access basic energy use this winter. I am determined to deliver net zero in a way that helps Londoners manage these costs increases but I can’t do it alone.

    “We’re now suffering the consequences of a decade of Government inaction on energy efficiency. The Government must match my pace and ambition and support plans like my own that would save lives this winter.

  • Priti Patel – 2022 Comments on Football Fans

    Priti Patel – 2022 Comments on Football Fans

    The comments made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, on 20 August 2022.

    There is no place for the ugly scenes we saw at some matches in England and Wales last season and it is good to see the positive work being done by clubs like Brentford to ensure our stadia are safe places for families and children to enjoy the beautiful game.

    I am determined not to let a small minority ruin matches for true fans as the football season gets under way and we are working closely with the police and the football authorities to tackle antisocial and criminal behaviour.

    I wholeheartedly support the extra measures all football bodies and clubs are bringing to keep fans safe and would encourage police and the courts to make full use of Football Banning Order legislation which we have recently extended to online abuse and will be shortly bringing in to root out class A drugs at matches.

  • David Frost – 2022 Article on Devolution and Nationalism in Scotland

    David Frost – 2022 Article on Devolution and Nationalism in Scotland

    Part of the article on devolution and nationalism in Scotland, written by David Frost and published in the Daily Telegraph on 19 August 2022.

    In 1995, the then shadow Scottish secretary, George (now Lord) Robertson, made one of the worst political predictions of all time when he said that “devolution will kill nationalism stone dead”. We saw the result of this terrible misjudgment in the hate-filled mob outside the Tory leadership hustings on Tuesday night. Many people in England will have watched those television images and thought, “Why would I ever go to Scotland if that is what they think of us?” That is, of course, what the SNP wants. Those of us who believe in our country need to start fighting back.

    To be fair, Robertson was not alone in his opinion. It was the conventional wisdom in 1999 when the Scottish Parliament was established. We now know, of course, that one of the doubters, in private, was Tony Blair. Showing, as so often, that he was a more far-sighted politician than most of his critics, he described devolution in his memoirs as a “dangerous game … you can never be sure where nationalist sentiment ends and separatist sentiment begins”. He was right.

  • Grant Shapps – 2022 Comments on Self-Driving Cars

    Grant Shapps – 2022 Comments on Self-Driving Cars

    The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 19 August 2022.

    The benefits of self-driving vehicles have the potential to be huge. Not only can they improve people’s access to education and other vital services, but the industry itself can create tens of thousands of job opportunities throughout the country.

    Most importantly, they’re expected to make our roads safer by reducing the dangers of driver error in road collisions.

    We want the UK to be at the forefront of developing and using this fantastic technology, and that is why we are investing millions in vital research into safety and setting the legislation to ensure we gain the full benefits that this technology promises.