Secretary of State – 8th June Social media has improved our lives in so many ways. But it has also taught us that having easy access to a vast supply of information doesn’t necessarily make us better informed. The internet is awash with false claims and inaccurate stories which people believe if they read them […]
Secretary of State Grant Shapps: 17 May, 2022 In 1285 in Ockham, Surrey, a monk called William was born. The humble theologian proffered that “Entities are not to be multiplied without necessity.” In plain English, this defines that for the most part, the solution to a problem is usually the simplest one. For many people […]
Secretary of State Grant Shapps: 19 January, 2022 Dealing with criticism is part and parcel of running Britain’s railways. People hold passionate views about how train services can be managed and improved, and I welcome all opinions, as long as they are informed and constructive. However, when they are spectacularly wrong, politically motivated, or likely […]
Secretary of State Grant Shapps: 06 November, 2021 The North-South divide – a concept that captivates this country – may be older than many people think. According to a new school of thought, it’s another thing we owe to the Romans. Preferring a warmer climate and easy trade links to the Continent, Roman legions quickly […]
Secretary of State Grant Shapps: 23 October 2021 Is it possible that Northumberland – the cradle of George Stephenson’s ingenious railway, Josephine Butler’s tenacious suffrage, and the prodigious talent of the Charlton brothers – can also claim to be the home of climate activism? We all know of Northumberland’s beautiful scenery, and the region’s […]
Secretary of State Grant Shapps: 11 October, 2021 After a party conference speech last week in which the Prime Minister celebrated the Hartlepool by-election, and described levelling up as “the greatest project any government can embark on”, it is perhaps fitting that today we are announcing a major investment to boost and level up Hartlepool’s […]
Secretary of State Grant Shapps: 25 September, 2021 There is often speculation about an imminent government reshuffle when Parliament returns from summer recess each September. This year, it was described as hitting “fever pitch”, with “swirling rumours” about a fresh look Cabinet spread across the media. I try and avoid all the gossip. But I […]
Secretary of State Grant Shapps: 31 July, 2021 The Mill of the Black Monks is not only one of the oldest pubs in Barnsley, but in the country. As a former water mill dating back to 1150, which served the monks of the nearby Cluniac monastery, it has been witness to the unfolding of […]
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps: 17 July, 2021 Uniting two of the great cities in the north-east, Sunderland and Newcastle, has not always been easy. Any Mackem or Geordie will tell you it’s a longstanding, passionate and fierce rivalry. And historically, fuelled by fuel. In fact, it was this country’s long-favoured fuel – coal […]
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps: 2 July, 2021 By the end of the 1970s, the UK car industry was in a mess. Constant strikes, woeful build quality and the nationalisation of British Leyland had all but destroyed our reputation as a global automotive leader. For each day that German carmakers lost to industrial action, […]