Rail Franchising: Public Sector

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Transport – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 12 January 2017.

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Photo of Chris Grayling Chris Grayling The Secretary of State for Transport 12:00, 12 January 2017

It is hardly a surprise that Conservative Members for constituencies outside London have doubts about a Labour Mayor inside London running local services, particularly when the Mayor delivered a business plan that did not offer improved capacity and was founded on a lot of uncosted promises. So far from this Mayor, we have seen a fare freeze that was not a fare freeze and a London of no rail strikes with a rail strike last Monday. I do not take the Mayor’s promises at face value, I am afraid. We have taken a partnership approach that also listens to the people of Kent, who are equally important in this franchise and said they should be equal partners with the people of London in designing it.