Londoners face the threat of the biggest hike in rail fares for a generation. The question is: what will ministers do about it? In normal times, the Government pegs regulated rail fares to July’s Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure. The problem is, these times are far from normal. RPI hit a staggering 11.8 per cent in June.
The last thing commuters, and the London economy that relies on them, need is for the Department for Transport to open up another front in the cost-of-living crisis. Figures provided by the Campaign for Better Transport suggest that an 11.8 per cent rise would see an annual season ticket from Woking to London rise by an eye-watering £432, from Reading by £595 and from Brighton by £826.
It is not entirely clear how the Secretary of State or the next Prime Minister expects workers, who are facing the worst fall in real wages on record, to find the money.
Fortunately, it is within the Government’s power to do something about it. This year, fare rises were capped at 3.8 per cent — the rate of RPI in July 2021 — as ministers ditched the formula used the previous year. They must go further this time.
Now is not the time to pass on the full costs to commuters. If the Government can agree to sub-inflation public sector pay deals, then surely it can do the same on rail fares?
Keir on thorny ground
Rolling rail strikes should be a political nightmare for the Government, and an opportunity for the Opposition. But Sir Keir Starmer’s sacking of shadow transport minister and Left-winger Sam Tarry, who this week joined workers on a picket line, has highlighted Labour’s uncomfortable line.
Sir Keir’s office asserts that Tarry lost his job not for his visit but for making unauthorised media appearances and failing to adhere to party policy. But the decision has drawn criticism from unions affiliated to the Labour Party.
This story has multiple moving parts. Tarry is facing a battle to be re-selected for his safe seat, with suggestions that he was angling for a fight with Sir Keir. Meanwhile, the fact that Tarry is in a relationship with Angela Rayner means this episode is unlikely to repair shaky relations between the leader’s office and his deputy.
Sir Keir has made significant strides in a relatively short space of time, having taken over the party from the depths of Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure and the 2019 election result.
But if Labour is to truly be the government-in-waiting its leader claims then it must have a coherent position on these strikes. Not least because we are likely to see further industrial action across multiple industries in the coming months.
Commonwealth joy
After a 294-day epic journey across 72 nations, the Queen’s baton was carried by the great Sir Lenny Henry into Victoria Square, Birmingham.
The Commonwealth Games kick off this evening, bringing together more than 6,000 athletes from around the world for 12 days of competition, making it the largest event in the city’s history.
As we reflect upon 10 years on from London’s Olympics, even in a packed sporting calendar, these Games remain a highlight for athletes and fans alike.
