The scandal of the £4billion gravy train: Mirror Politics morning briefing
Get politics updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
The task of leaving the EU is so overarching it has drawn attention away from other Government announcements.
The scrutiny which should have been given to the Government’s handling of the health service, education and transport has been suffocated under the blanket coverage of Brexit.
Which is why Chris Grayling has yet to be fully held to account for his “bailout” of Stagecoac h.
The private rail company’s contract to run the East Coast Mainline has been terminated just before it was due to pay the government more than £2billion for the right to hold the franchise.
Instead of insisting the company, a joint venture with Virgin, fulfilled its obligations, the Transport Secretary has agreed for a public-private consortium to run the line until the franchise expires in 2023.
Last year the taxpayer subsidised the supposedly private rail industry to the tune of £4.8billion.
(Image: REUTERS)
The system of privatisation created by the Tories is so dysfunctional it allows taxpayers’ money to be filtered through private firms directly into the hands of a few rich shareholders.
For example, Go-Ahead, which runs Southern, Southeastern, London Midland and GTR, received £132million in subsidies last year for its rail operations and paid its shareholders dividends of £48million.
As a reward for overseeing this arrangement the chief executive earned more than £800,000.
The mystery is why people are not more angry about public money being used to enrich private individuals.
The amount taxpayers pay in rail subsidies is just over half the amount we are paying to the EU this year.
Though you will not see that on the side of a Stagecoach train or bus.
Theresa May is in Paris today for the One Planet summit on tackling climate change.
This is an opportunity to escape another day of heavy going in Parliament on the EU Withdrawal Bill.
(Image: PA)
The Prime Minister also travels to the French capital safe in the knowledge the only world leader she will not have to bump into is Donald Trump.
Though it is deeply dispiriting that we have a climate change denier in the White House at a time when an international solution to global warming has never been more pressing.
Trump’s absence also means the PM can avoid having to broach the President’s tax plans.
The finance ministers of Europe’s five largest economies, who include Philip Hammond, have written to the White House to warn the bill, as it stands, flouts international trade agreements by giving US companies preferential treatment.
In a welcome move, the Government today launches its consultation on changing the law on organ donations .
The Mirror has been campaigning for England to follow Scotland and Wales by introducing a system whereby you opt out of the donor register.
The initial evidence from Wales shows the change to a soft opt out (your close family or friends have a final say on consent) has already saved lives.
The Commons kicks off with questions to Business Secretary Greg Clark before moving to the Withdrawal Bill.
Faced with the prospect of defeat the Government gave ground yesterday on the Henry VIII powers – the right for ministers to ram legislation onto the statute book without scrutiny – by agreeing a committee of MPs should scrutinise when this power could be used.
This may be sufficient to buy off some concerned Tories.
The real fireworks could come tomorrow when they vote on giving MPs a final say on any Brexit deal.
Pro-Remain MPs want this ‘meaningful vote’ to be before the Prime Minister signs any withdrawal agreement and the terms of that agreement should be made public.
Look out for an adjournment debate by Labour’s Luciana Berger on children’s mental health provision.
Labour MP Jess Phillips has a Westminster Hall debate at 9.30am on the funding of domestic violence refuges.
There is a mixed bag of committees.
The Home Affairs committee is taking evidence on harassment and intimidation near abortion clinics, the Environment Committee is looking at F-gases (me neither) and the Culture, Media and Sport committee takes evidence from social media firms on their use of algorithms and AI.
We have recorded a new Ayes to the Left podcast on all latest Brexit developments. It includes an uncharacteristically accurate prediction on whether May would get a deal.