Anne-Marie Trevelyan is the new transport secretary. The MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed is taking over from Grant Shapps – who supported Rishi Sunak rather than Liz Truss to be the new leader.
Ms Trevelyan tweeted: “I’m thrilled to have been appointed Transport Sec.
“Transport is crucial to our lives – bringing people together, creating jobs and connecting the UK with the world.
“Looking forward to getting to work on the many challenges and opportunities transport brings.”
The new incumbent at Great Minster House takes up the role at a turbulent time. The next 10 days will see two national rail strikes over pay. The two unions involved, the RMT and Aslef, squarely blame the government for preventing Network Rail and the train operators from reaching a settlement.
At the root of the problem, the finances of the rail industry have been wrecked by the reduction in season ticket sales, with the funding gap being met by the taxpayer – an arrangement that is unlikely to prove sustainable.
Other serious challenges include resuscitating what was previously a world-beating aviation industry. Airlines and airports in the UK slumped more than in any other major European nation because of severe Covid travel restrictions – and are now hobbled by labour shortages and the sinking pound, since many aviation costs are denominated in US dollars.
As the former UK International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for the Cop26 presidency, Ms Trevelyan will be expected to tackle the damage caused to the environment by aviation, road transport and cruise ships.
Crucially, travellers will expect action to force airlines and the wider travel industry to respect rules on refunds for cancelled flights and compensation for wrongly denying boarding passengers.
These consumer issues are part of a wider picture in which the cost-of-living crisis is likely to hamper the appetite for travel – while soaring energy prices push up the cost of holidays at home and abroad.
For help on budget travel, long-haul escapes or Mediterranean breaks, our expert Simon Calder will be on hand from 1 to 2pm, British time, on Wednesday 7 September to answer all your questions in an ‘Ask me anything’ event. He will be answering live in the comments section below.
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