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West coast rail: Greening's 'real world' experience couldn't prevent fiasco West coast rail: Greening's 'real world' experience couldn't prevent fiasco
(about 1 hour later)
Over our hotel breakfast in Manchester today a colleague suggested that Justine Greening, the transport secretary who presided over the now-defective West Coast rail franchise award should be required to resign from the cabinet – she was moved to international development in last month's reshuffle – as a consequence of the debacle. Over our hotel breakfast in Manchester on Wednesday a colleague suggested that Justine Greening, the transport secretary who presided over the now-defective west coast rail franchise award should be required to resign from the cabinet – she was moved to international development in last month's reshuffle – as a consequence of the debacle.
Having heard her successor, the ex-miner Patrick McLoughlin, make a decent fist of an apology on Radio 4 – hours after officials revealed they had made errors in calculating rival bids from Virgin the FirstGroup – my initial reaction was: " No. The secretary of state is not responsible for errors made by his/her accountants even though they are constitutionally required to take responsibility for all that goes on in the department." Having heard her successor, the ex-miner Patrick McLoughlin, make a decent fist of an apology on Radio 4 – hours after officials revealed they had made errors in calculating rival bids from Virgin the FirstGroup – my initial reaction was, no, the secretary of state is not responsible for errors made by his/her accountants even though they are constitutionally required to take responsibility for all that goes on in the department.
Then I remembered a relevant fact. It just so happens that by training and professional background Greening (42) is, yes, an accountant and finance manager whose background includes working for such giants of the trade as Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Big Pharma's GlaxoSmithKline and Centrica. Then I remembered a relevant fact. It just so happens that by training and professional background Greening, 42, is, yes, an accountant and finance manager whose background includes working for such giants of the trade as Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Big Pharma's GlaxoSmithKline and Centrica.
Does that make a difference? It's hard to be sure before the full facts are known. Today's retreat by the DfT comes ahead of Sir Richard Branson's high court bid to overturn what he rightly insisted – it hurts to type "rightly" – was a defective decision to award Virgin's important Euston-to-Manchester-and-Scotland franchise to the rival whose back-end-loaded bid, Branson has argued, was impossible to fund. Does that make a difference? It's hard to be sure before the full facts are known. Wednesday's retreat by the DfT comes ahead of Sir Richard Branson's high court bid to overturn what he rightly insisted – it hurts to type "rightly" – was a defective decision to award Virgin's important Euston-to-Manchester-and-Scotland franchise to the rival whose back-end-loaded bid, Branson has argued, was impossible to fund.
But when Whitehall – cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood to the fore – conducts its inquest into the DfT's performance I'd say that the professional qualifications, as well as the judgment of the secretary of state might feature. And why not? We keep being told that too many politicians have never done " a proper job". Here is a minister who appears not to be open to that criticism, yet allows something serious – it may cost the taxpayer £40m to put right – to happen on her watch.But when Whitehall – cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood to the fore – conducts its inquest into the DfT's performance I'd say that the professional qualifications, as well as the judgment of the secretary of state might feature. And why not? We keep being told that too many politicians have never done " a proper job". Here is a minister who appears not to be open to that criticism, yet allows something serious – it may cost the taxpayer £40m to put right – to happen on her watch.
McLoughlin, a solid citizen, though his regime as chief whip was deemed too "sergeant's mess" for Andrew Mitchell who took over, has instinctively shown better judgment in putting his hands up to admit error immediately and to do so in person. No swearing at coppers for him. McLoughlin, a solid citizen, though his regime as chief whip was deemed too "sergeant's mess" for Andrew Mitchell, who took over, has instinctively shown better judgment in putting his hands up to admit error immediately and to do so in person. No swearing at coppers for him.
In his combative Today programme interview with Evan Davis this morning, Ed Miliband used an interesting word to describe the latest shambles to beset the government: a lack of "grip". A team which knows its direction of travel can overcome difficulties like this, the Labour leader said, but not if it's aimless. David Cameron once hugged huskies and hoodies but now seems uninterested in either, he added. In his combative Today programme interview with Evan Davis on Wednesday morning, Ed Miliband used an interesting word to describe the latest shambles to beset the government: a lack of "grip". A team that knows its direction of travel can overcome difficulties like this, the Labour leader said, but not if it's aimless. David Cameron once hugged huskies and hoodies but now seems uninterested in either, he added.
Remember, unlike most recent Labour leaders, Miliband does have experience of government, both as a special adviser and, later, a minister in the cabinet office – heart of Whitehall – and at the department of energy and climate change. At Copenhagen when the climate change summit was close to failure he seized the moment to bang heads together and force a deal, I recall being told. Remember, unlike most recent Labour leaders, Miliband does have experience of government, both as a special adviser and, later, a minister in the cabinet office – heart of Whitehall – and at the department of energy and climate change. At Copenhagen, when the climate change summit was close to failure, he seized the moment to bang heads together and force a deal, I recall being told.
As yesterday's speech may have shown more widely there may be depths to his leadership which voters had not previously spotted. We'll see. But delegates at Labour's conference – even old trade union sweats who don't much like boy politicians who never get their hands dirty – have been impressed. As Tuesday's speech may have shown, more widely there may be depths to his leadership which voters had not previously spotted. We'll see. But delegates at Labour's conference – even old trade union sweats who don't much like boy politicians who never get their hands dirty – have been impressed.
By the same token the West Coast franchise shambles reinforces growing concern that the Tories did not do enough hard thinking before they returned to power. Nor did the Lib Dems who did not expect to do so after 90 years of impotence. One old Whitehall official I bumped into yesterday at the conference – not a politico – made the point before the latest fiasco. By the same token the west coast franchise shambles reinforces growing concern that the Tories did not do enough hard thinking before they returned to power. Nor did the Lib Dems, who did not expect to do so after 90 years of impotence. One old Whitehall official I bumped into on Tuesday at the conference – not a politico – made the point before the latest fiasco.
That's why it's slipping on banana skins all the time. Public confidence, once lost, is hard to recover, as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown discovered. But not two years in, much later. As with much else – including the running of this important train line, the future is cloudy.That's why it's slipping on banana skins all the time. Public confidence, once lost, is hard to recover, as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown discovered. But not two years in, much later. As with much else – including the running of this important train line, the future is cloudy.