Transport Planning Associates (TPA)

  In the wake of July’s general election in the UK, work has been underway to set up parliamentary select committees to oversee the work of various government departments and agencies.  Of particular interest to many transport consultants and their clients will be the news of the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Brentford and Isleworth, Ruth Cadbury, being elected Chair of the Transport Committee.  Members of the House of Commons voted on 11th September for Ms Cadbury to take up the position; the other candidates standing for election were Catherine Atkinson MP, Grahame Morris MP, and Fabian Hamilton MP.  “Transport touches every aspect of our lives”  Responding to the news of her elevation to the role of Chair, Ms Cadbury declared it was “a great honour to be elected by MPs from across the House of Commons”.  She continued: “Transport touches every aspect of our lives, from getting to work to seeing our loved ones and ensuring we can buy t...

  With the still-young Labour Government having been in power for more than a month at the time of typing, transport consultants and their clients are continuing to see signs of how Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s administration will approach this critically important sector.  However, not all the news impacting on transport planning and infrastructure so far has been positive. Indeed, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves made a dispiriting announcement to the House of Commons on 29th July, stating that the new Government had discovered a large gap in the UK’s finances.  What did the Chancellor say, and what are the implications for UK transport?  Ms Reeves said that an unfunded governmental overspend amounting to £22 billion had been passed on to the new Labour ministry from the previous Rishi Sunak-led Conservative Government.  She went on to say that to help tackle this deficit and relieve the associated pressure on public finances, various ...