“It’s a tremendous honour to have been appointed Shadow Transport Secretary in Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet.
My priority for transport in the UK is clear: to stand up for hard working drivers, commuters, and passengers – and for the businesses in our commercial aviation, logistics, haulage, and shipping sectors – who simply want to get on with their jobs without being treated as a cash machine for more Labour tax rises.
As a backbencher, I fought against – and won – a reversal of a planned Road Tax increase, and as Roads and Local Transport Minister in the last Government, I extended the £2 bus fare cap and helped ensure it became a clear Conservative manifesto commitment. Labour have already abandoned that approach in Government, and that shows how quickly people’s interests can be set aside.
For example, we can look at the recent decisions to cancel funding to widen the A12 and to increase the fare for the Dartford Crossing. Cancelling road projects whilst hiking charges for road users sums up Labour’s approach of hitting motorists hard, rather than helping them get to work and get on with their lives.
Drivers, passengers, and the whole transport sector need a team that is firmly on their side – one that will fight against unnecessary extra costs and stand up for reliable, affordable joined up transport that genuinely serves people’s lives and local communities.
That is what I will be doing in this brief, working with fellow Conservative MPs, and making sure the voices of people and businesses across the country, including in south Essex, are heard.
But that doesn’t mean my role as the local MP for Basildon and Billericay will stop. I will continue to serve the local communities and still be as active and visible as I am now – you’ll just hear me talking about trains, motor vehicles, planes, and boats more – perhaps even about a jet ski or two!
So, if you have any issues you need my help with, just drop me a line through my website and I’ll get back to you. Please also let me know any local transport issues you’ve faced as well! As your MP, it’s my role to help and represent you, and one I love doing.”
