Union boss Mick Lynch received a rapturous response at another Labour conference event today - as the party committed to bringing rail back into public control.
General Secretary of the RMT union Mr Lynch is one of the biggest draws at the event in Liverpool. He was the keynote speaker at a fringe event at the Hilton Hotel today outlining how Labour can deliver better transport. The room at the hotel was packed as people queued out of the door to hear from the high-profile union boss.
Mr Lynch will have been pleased to hear first from Labour's shadow rail minister Tan Desi Singh who was adamant a Labour government would bring the country's rail network under public control. Mr Singh also firmly said the party remains committed to implementing the full plan for Northern Powerhouse Rail which would provide high-speed rail connections across the towns and cities of the north.
On public ownership, Mr Singh said: "Let there be no doubt, Labour is committed to bringing rail back under public control."
READ MORE: Rail union boss Mick Lynch blasts Labour party leadership ahead of conference
Mr Lynch was undoubtedly the main attraction and his speech was met with cheers and several spontaneous rounds of applause. He thanked Liverpool union members for "leading the fight" for fair pay, and joked that he had still not been nominated for any union elections by branches in the city. He added: "I'm looking forward to the day that changes. It’s a tough gig for a Londoner coming up here to be fair."
On the energy and cost of living crisis, he challenged the Labour leadership to be strong. He said: "This cost of living crisis is manufactured. They are going to transfer money from working people and directly into the bank accounts of oligarchs and billionaires around the world who own the energy companies. Wealth is being redistributed in this country, it's being taken from us and sent to the super rich. The Labour Party needs to stand up and say enough is enough, we're not going to have this."
Speaking specifically about public transport, the RMT boss said access to transport is a "class issue". He added: "People are isolated in their homes, unable to meet friends or get to work because some bus fares are £5 or £6 each. Transport has got the ability to liberate our working class communities but at the moment we are being atomised."
This wasn't Mr Lynch's first event in the city this weekend. Last night he was the keynote speaker at a rally at the Black-E, which was part of The World Transformed - a separate event taking place alongside the party conference in the city.
During that speech, he took aim at Labour leader Keir Starmer, stating: "This is the most militant right-wing government most of us are going to experience. I just wish the people that are meant to be representing us were as bold and radical as this lot have shown themselves to be in the last two or three days.
"If Starmer can't understand that, he needs to wake up and get another job."
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