UK transport is “low down on the list of [political] priorities” warned political commentator Steve Richards, but he believes the High Speed 2 rail project is unlikely to be scrapped.
Speaking at the Business Travel Association’s annual conference in Antwerp today (12 September), Richards said he “genuinely doesn’t understand” why transport does not get more attention considering the economic growth it generates.
“If you look at the current transport secretary, Mark Harper, he’s the fifth in so many years. It’s constantly changing and they have very little influence over the treasury,” he said. “Current transport policy is being run more by Number Ten [Downing Street] and the treasury than the transport secretary.”
Richards added that shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, is “quite radical” while Labour leader Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves are “quite cautious”.
“She [Haigh] doesn’t have much leverage with leadership. If she becomes transports secretary next year she might not have the pull that everyone in this room…
