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| Chris Grayling: Tory in combative mood to deal with rail union bosses Chris Grayling: Tory in combative mood to deal with rail union bosses | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Chris Grayling was for years the premier Tory attack dog of David Cameron’s days in opposition, happy to bash Labour and the trade unions at every opportunity. | Chris Grayling was for years the premier Tory attack dog of David Cameron’s days in opposition, happy to bash Labour and the trade unions at every opportunity. |
| His combative qualities were clearly appreciated by Theresa May, who wrote of him in a 2007 column: “Tall and strong, he’s effective in the line out. Likes to get in his opponent’s face.” | His combative qualities were clearly appreciated by Theresa May, who wrote of him in a 2007 column: “Tall and strong, he’s effective in the line out. Likes to get in his opponent’s face.” |
| Now her transport secretary, the 54-year-old Conservative stalwart shows no sign of toning down his tribal approach to politics in the way he has handled the Southern train strikes. | Now her transport secretary, the 54-year-old Conservative stalwart shows no sign of toning down his tribal approach to politics in the way he has handled the Southern train strikes. |
| The walk-outs over the safety of train doors were “palpable nonsense” worked up by militant unions trying to bring the rail network to its knees, Grayling claimed last week. | The walk-outs over the safety of train doors were “palpable nonsense” worked up by militant unions trying to bring the rail network to its knees, Grayling claimed last week. |
| He initially declined to meet rail union leaders unless they called off the strike and then inflamed relations further by saying the Aslef general secretary had at their introductory meeting “virtually with his first breath promised 10 years of industrial action” – a claim disputed by the union boss. | He initially declined to meet rail union leaders unless they called off the strike and then inflamed relations further by saying the Aslef general secretary had at their introductory meeting “virtually with his first breath promised 10 years of industrial action” – a claim disputed by the union boss. |
| The temperature moved up a notch again as it emerged that Grayling was happy to consider a proposal by the Tory MP Chris Philp aimed at limiting rail strikes with tighter legislation. | The temperature moved up a notch again as it emerged that Grayling was happy to consider a proposal by the Tory MP Chris Philp aimed at limiting rail strikes with tighter legislation. |
| It has added up to a strategy that has infuriated commuter groups, the unions and a number of MPs, with Tory former minister Bob Neill even calling for his resignation over a separate row about south London train franchises. | It has added up to a strategy that has infuriated commuter groups, the unions and a number of MPs, with Tory former minister Bob Neill even calling for his resignation over a separate row about south London train franchises. |
| “The man has so far shown himself to be totally and utterly partial, ideologically driven and up to his neck in political chicanery,” said Andy McDonald, Labour’s shadow transport secretary. | “The man has so far shown himself to be totally and utterly partial, ideologically driven and up to his neck in political chicanery,” said Andy McDonald, Labour’s shadow transport secretary. |
| McDonald, who was also on the Commons justice committee when Grayling held that portfolio, believes his opposite number has an anti-union agenda that is counter-productive when transport secretaries need to be able to help sort out industrial disputes. | McDonald, who was also on the Commons justice committee when Grayling held that portfolio, believes his opposite number has an anti-union agenda that is counter-productive when transport secretaries need to be able to help sort out industrial disputes. |
| “You’ve got senior civil servants who’ve said at public meetings that ministers want the political dust-up with the unions,” said McDonald. “They want to starve them back to work and they want to drive those union people out of their industry. There has always been issues of negotiation and discussion in rail industry over many decades but Grayling fails to recognise that and has absolutely no interest in good industrial relations. He just wants to grind the RMT and Aslef out of existence.” | “You’ve got senior civil servants who’ve said at public meetings that ministers want the political dust-up with the unions,” said McDonald. “They want to starve them back to work and they want to drive those union people out of their industry. There has always been issues of negotiation and discussion in rail industry over many decades but Grayling fails to recognise that and has absolutely no interest in good industrial relations. He just wants to grind the RMT and Aslef out of existence.” |
| The transport secretary has clearly made no attempt to build bridges with Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA, whose union has been considering separate industrial action over ticket office closures and jobs. | The transport secretary has clearly made no attempt to build bridges with Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA, whose union has been considering separate industrial action over ticket office closures and jobs. |
| “I have been in the industry for over 20 years and I have no doubt he is the worst transport secretary we have had in that time,” Cortes said. “He has so far failed to meet with me and I wrote a letter to him in early November about safety concerns in the London underground and he still hasn’t responded to it. So he’s got a cheek when he said trade union leaders hadn’t responded to a letter he sent a few days ago. I think he has an agenda looking for cheap headlines to bash unions.” | “I have been in the industry for over 20 years and I have no doubt he is the worst transport secretary we have had in that time,” Cortes said. “He has so far failed to meet with me and I wrote a letter to him in early November about safety concerns in the London underground and he still hasn’t responded to it. So he’s got a cheek when he said trade union leaders hadn’t responded to a letter he sent a few days ago. I think he has an agenda looking for cheap headlines to bash unions.” |
| Labour are now not cutting him any slack over a video that emerged last week showing him opening a car door on a cyclist, knocking him over, with Dudley MP Ian Austin writing to the prime minister and police to complain. | Labour are now not cutting him any slack over a video that emerged last week showing him opening a car door on a cyclist, knocking him over, with Dudley MP Ian Austin writing to the prime minister and police to complain. |
| However, there are no signs yet though that May disapproves of the way Grayling has dealt with the strikes. From the same stolid middle-class, grammar school and home counties background as the prime minister, the transport secretary earned his stripes by becoming the first Brexiter to declare for May during the leadership contest. | However, there are no signs yet though that May disapproves of the way Grayling has dealt with the strikes. From the same stolid middle-class, grammar school and home counties background as the prime minister, the transport secretary earned his stripes by becoming the first Brexiter to declare for May during the leadership contest. |
| David Laws, the former Lib Dem minister, reported in his book about the coalition that May and Grayling “fought like scorpions” over home affairs and justice. Grayling played the referendum campaign carefully – much like May – coming out early for the leave camp but refusing to engage in personal criticism of Cameron or George Osborne. | David Laws, the former Lib Dem minister, reported in his book about the coalition that May and Grayling “fought like scorpions” over home affairs and justice. Grayling played the referendum campaign carefully – much like May – coming out early for the leave camp but refusing to engage in personal criticism of Cameron or George Osborne. |
| He had not previously been thought of as a May loyalist, having run Liam Fox’s leadership bid in 2005, but she picked the rightwinger to chair her campaign and was instrumental in winning many pro-leave Tory MPs to her camp rather than that of Michael Gove, Fox or Andrea Leadsom. | He had not previously been thought of as a May loyalist, having run Liam Fox’s leadership bid in 2005, but she picked the rightwinger to chair her campaign and was instrumental in winning many pro-leave Tory MPs to her camp rather than that of Michael Gove, Fox or Andrea Leadsom. |
| He told friends at the time that he was not after a big office of state after she won the top job, but was highly satisfied with the transport brief, overseeing major decisions such as Heathrow and HS2. | He told friends at the time that he was not after a big office of state after she won the top job, but was highly satisfied with the transport brief, overseeing major decisions such as Heathrow and HS2. |
| It was in fact yet another example of Grayling’s ability to recover from career setbacks that have seen him demoted or sidelined over the years. His first disappointment was failing to make it into Cameron’s first cabinet, despite serving as shadow home secretary. | It was in fact yet another example of Grayling’s ability to recover from career setbacks that have seen him demoted or sidelined over the years. His first disappointment was failing to make it into Cameron’s first cabinet, despite serving as shadow home secretary. |
| It came after he drew widespread condemnation for suggesting B&B owners should have the right to turn away gay couples if it was their own home, rather than a hotel. In a previous gaffe, he suggested the appointment of Gen Sir Richard Dannatt was a “political gimmick” without realising the military chief was to advise Cameron rather than Gordon Brown. | It came after he drew widespread condemnation for suggesting B&B owners should have the right to turn away gay couples if it was their own home, rather than a hotel. In a previous gaffe, he suggested the appointment of Gen Sir Richard Dannatt was a “political gimmick” without realising the military chief was to advise Cameron rather than Gordon Brown. |
| He did not spend long as a junior minister, though, rising to become justice secretary under Cameron in 2012, where he rubbed many charities, officials, lawyers and those in the prison sector up the wrong way. The attempted ban on books being sent into prisons, the controversial shake-up of legal aid and mandatory court fees all went down badly. These were all scrapped by his successor, Michael Gove, when Grayling was moved to the political equivalent of the departure lounge in the role of leader of the House of Commons. | He did not spend long as a junior minister, though, rising to become justice secretary under Cameron in 2012, where he rubbed many charities, officials, lawyers and those in the prison sector up the wrong way. The attempted ban on books being sent into prisons, the controversial shake-up of legal aid and mandatory court fees all went down badly. These were all scrapped by his successor, Michael Gove, when Grayling was moved to the political equivalent of the departure lounge in the role of leader of the House of Commons. |
| Among political aides at Tory HQ, Grayling was known ubiquitously as “the Graylord”. “He’s easy to rub along with, he knows how to play the game and will go out and deliver a line,” one who worked closely with him says. “But he does comes up with some silly ideas. It doesn’t surprise me that the MoJ was chaos when he was there and he’s messing up transport as well.” | Among political aides at Tory HQ, Grayling was known ubiquitously as “the Graylord”. “He’s easy to rub along with, he knows how to play the game and will go out and deliver a line,” one who worked closely with him says. “But he does comes up with some silly ideas. It doesn’t surprise me that the MoJ was chaos when he was there and he’s messing up transport as well.” |
| Despite a chequered political career, many colleagues regarded him as a reliable and solid team player. “He’s really widely liked within the parliamentary party because he’s not showy. He’s very approachable and happy to talk to anyone,” said Lord Hayward, Conservative peer and former MP. | Despite a chequered political career, many colleagues regarded him as a reliable and solid team player. “He’s really widely liked within the parliamentary party because he’s not showy. He’s very approachable and happy to talk to anyone,” said Lord Hayward, Conservative peer and former MP. |
| Tim Loughton, a Conservative MP whose Worthing and Shoreham constituency is affected by the strikes, also believes Grayling is doing a better job than his predecessors at dealing with the problems afflicting the Southern franchise and is willing to listen to his ideas about a new bill entitling passengers to automatic compensation for disruption and a tough new rail complaints ombudsman. | Tim Loughton, a Conservative MP whose Worthing and Shoreham constituency is affected by the strikes, also believes Grayling is doing a better job than his predecessors at dealing with the problems afflicting the Southern franchise and is willing to listen to his ideas about a new bill entitling passengers to automatic compensation for disruption and a tough new rail complaints ombudsman. |
| Loughton said: “Chris Grayling and Paul Maynard, the rail minister, have been much more proactive, though it’s still not brilliant. They are engaged with the problem. It’s slightly helped that Grayling has got Southern trains operating through his constituency so he can see it first-hand. But with the strike, the thing I have raised in prime minister’s questions is the absurdity of Aslef objecting to drivers pressing the door buttons on Southern trains but not Thameslink ones.” | Loughton said: “Chris Grayling and Paul Maynard, the rail minister, have been much more proactive, though it’s still not brilliant. They are engaged with the problem. It’s slightly helped that Grayling has got Southern trains operating through his constituency so he can see it first-hand. But with the strike, the thing I have raised in prime minister’s questions is the absurdity of Aslef objecting to drivers pressing the door buttons on Southern trains but not Thameslink ones.” |
| He also argues the charge of being overly political could aptly be applied to the trade unions. “It isn’t some big moral issue,” Loughton said. “Aslef and the RMT know that Southern is the weak link and it’s been poorly managed so that is why they have targeted them. If they win and get a climbdown here, they will be on to Anglia, Northern and others. The agenda is to bring it all back into public ownership.” | He also argues the charge of being overly political could aptly be applied to the trade unions. “It isn’t some big moral issue,” Loughton said. “Aslef and the RMT know that Southern is the weak link and it’s been poorly managed so that is why they have targeted them. If they win and get a climbdown here, they will be on to Anglia, Northern and others. The agenda is to bring it all back into public ownership.” |
| It may be that Grayling – who is used to being called the jackal of the Tory party – was put in place to hold the line in a lengthy battle. | It may be that Grayling – who is used to being called the jackal of the Tory party – was put in place to hold the line in a lengthy battle. |