Transport secretary Louise Haigh has told civil servants that Labour will “move fast and fix things”, prioritising rail reform and maintaining an environmental focus. Speaking to officials at the Department for Transport, Haigh said transport would be critical for the government’s missions on growth, net zero, opportunity, women and girls’ safety, and health.
Labour’s first moves are expected to include a rail reform bill paving the way for full renationalisation of train operations, with legislation announced in the king’s speech next week. The bill will advance Labour’s version of Great British Railways, a new arms-length body unifying track and train operations, after years of ministerial indecision.
Haigh has said she would hasten the process of achieving fully public ownership where poor performances breach contracts. The appointment of Network Rail chairman Lord Hendy as transport minister underscores this priority, though it may raise concerns of a Network Rail takeover.
On infrastructure, Labour will seek to find an equivalent link to the scrapped northern leg of HS2, given pressure from northern mayors and capacity issues where the remaining HS2 high-speed railway meets the West Coast main line. Haigh stressed that Britain “desperately needs new infrastructure to better connect underserved parts of the country”, particularly the north.
Regarding industrial relations, Labour’s promised “new deal for workers” is expected to change the industrial climate, with employers likely having more leeway to negotiate. A pay offer near the 8% rejected in early 2023 could prove acceptable if it does not demand working practice reforms, and issues such as mandatory Sunday shifts may become less contentious with better industrial relations.
On buses, Haigh emphasised that “buses are the lifeblood of our communities” and have too often let people down. Labour plans to devolve more powers to make local franchising an easier and quicker option, building on the reversal of Thatcher-era deregulation already underway in some areas.
