Oldham MP's dispatch box debut

Yesterday (Tuesday) was a landmark day for Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon as he made his dispatch box debut as Shadow Secretary of State for Transport. 

In responding to a statement on Covid-19 guidance for transport users and operators, Mr McMahon thanked transport workers across the UK for keeping the country moving and promised that he would give a voice to these workers during this crisis and beyond.

The Oldham MP also asked why the guidance on public transport hadn’t come before the Prime Minister’s confusing address to the nation on Sunday evening, that led to crowded platforms on Monday morning, as well as a number of other questions on PPE for Transport staff, why it had taken the government so long to signal it’s intention to quarantine new arrivals into the UK, why France was to be exempt from the policy, and asked the government to bring forward a comprehensive and clear plan for the transport sector.

The full text is below:

"Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Can I thank the Secretary of State for advanced sight of this statement.

Can I also thank him for the way in which he has maintained communication, and shown a willingness to work together in the national interest.

I know everyone in this House, and at home, will join me and sending our thanks to all transport workers across the country.

As with all of our front-line workers, they are the very best of us.

And so Mr Deputy Speaker, it is so important that we give a voice to those workers too, because even today the official advice is found wanting and it will lead to confusion.

The scenes we saw yesterday on public transport were un-surprising when the government orders are return to work with 12 hours’ notice but without the guidance being in place on how people can be kept safe.

So, can I ask the Secretary of State why his announcement wasn’t made before the Prime Minister’s statement on Sunday?

Secondly, the government has produced guidance for bus passengers and operators, but it leaves too much to chance and fails to protect front-line workers.

It risks a Postcode Lottery on standards and protection, and there is far too much "should", "could", "not always possible" "as much as you can" rather than clear directive guidance.

For bus drivers for instance the guidance’s that PPE should not be used, but instead reserved for health and care staff.

This is despite shocking figures released by the ONS, that showed that professional drivers including operating taxis, private hire vehicles, buses and goods vehicles have some of the highest covid-19 fatality rates in the country.

So can I ask the Secretary of State for the evidence base to support this position on the provision of PPE for frontline transport staff?

And can I ask the Secretary of State what discussions have taken place to ensure co-operation across our devolved nations, to offer clear and consistent standards for transport such as buses and rail, that of course crosses from nation to nation?

Mr Deputy Speaker, when the Secretary of State says he announced last week £2billion fund for cycling that sounded awfully familiar, can he confirm that this actually isn't new money but was instead announced pre-lockdown back in February, and in that context can he confirm if it's now been paid to local councils?

Mr Deputy Speaker, he touched on the aviation sector in the guidance that has been produced.

A number of airlines have already announced a significant number of redundancies, affecting tens of thousands of jobs directly, and throughout the supply chain.

Even as we transition to a green economy, protecting jobs now, so that people can be re-skilled for the future is critical it would be far easier to transition from point of strength rather than weakness.

But the government have failed to offer a sectoral deal for aviation, a real chance to set conditions on staff wages, payments to UK based suppliers, shift into green technology and demand of those who seek our help pay fairly into the tax system and halting the payment of shareholder dividends too.

So why has the Government failed to act?

And aviation isn’t alone, we’ve seen it with ferry operators and the announcement of over 1,100 jobs at risk at P&O.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the Prime Minister’s 14-day quarantine proposal is a total mess, it says that everyone’s quarantined, unless you come from anywhere in the world via France one of the worst affected countries in Europe after the UK.

Will the government produce the scientific advice which justifies why France is to be exempt from this policy?

And why has Government decided now is the time to implement this, two months after other countries have introduced similar practices, and after 18 million passengers have entered the UK since January.

Will the Government publish the scientific advice that led to the change now, and not earlier?

Finally, Mr Deputy Speaker, we need a comprehensive plan for transport.

What the public rightly demand is that the chaos surrounding the exit plan ends.

The risk is not just that more lives are lost needlessly, but also that the economic damage will be far deeper too, hurting our communities for a generation to come.

Clearly we will continue to work together in the national interest but the Secretary of State needs to take a message back to the cabinet table.

No more confusion, no more reckless briefings, and no more delay.

This is a national crisis that needs a government fit to respond to it and we hope for the country that comes sooner than later."

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