Following on from Tim's excellent ToryDiary entry the other day, I thought it worth highlighting the quality of the work that has been done by the Conservative Parliamentary transport team. We now have a clear transport policy in many areas, notably:
- High speed rail links joining up our major cities as a real alternative to roads and yet more planes;
- Opposition to the third runway at Heathrow; and
- A strong position on BAA and it's shocking failure to run airports properly.
Yet it's not just the clarity of the policy position that is so welcome. What really shows our transport team to be highly effective is the fact that Labour have been thrown into chaos by the opposition to the third runway, are aping the Conservative high speed rail proposals and the Conservative team has effectively forced the sale of Gatwick and Stansted and the introduction of proper competition into our airports by making sure the Government couldn't sideline the Competition Commission report. I hope we will see more on roads in due course.
Making the weather and changing things from Opposition is the touchstone of a successful front bench team. So congratulations to Tim for just praise and to Theresa Villiers, her excellent deputy Stephen Hammond, Julian Brazier, Robert Goodwill and their colleagues in the Lords on doing such a good job.
