Starmer’s rail plans will ‘aid Sadiq Khan’s war on the suburbs’
Sir Keir Starmer’s rail plans will assist Sadiq Khan’s “war on the suburbs”, government sources have warned.
The Labour leader is accused of “aiding and abetting” the London mayor to expand his “fiefdom” by increasing his powers of the train network in commuter belt areas.
Mr Khan was re-elected for a third term as mayor, but an analysis of the votes shows that his popularity in inner London areas far outstripped that in suburban areas.
His average point change increased by 7.2 percentage points in inner London, compared to 1.1 percentage points in outer London.
It is thought that policies such as expanding the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) – where residents are charged £12.50 to drive if their car does not meet emission standards – are to blame for Mr Khan’s drop in appeal on the outskirts of the capital.
Under Labour’s plan for railways, mayors and other devolved leaders will be given a statutory role in the rail network, with expanded powers in “governing, managing, planning and developing the rail network”.
Their proposals state that: “For the first time, therefore, devolved leaders in Scotland, Wales, and in mayoral combined authorities will have a statutory role in the rail network.
“National and regional transport bodies will have the ability to agree national and regional rail services with the unified rail body, enabling devolved leaders to develop ambitious plans for seamless, integrated transport networks and a public transport system that properly serves their local areas.”
Mayors will have a role in discussions about rail timetables and route planning as well as setting fares of trains in their areas, under Labour’s plans to renationalise the railways where all decisions will ultimately be made by a new public sector body called Great British Railways.
Mr Khan already controls the Transport for London (TfL) network but under Sir Keir’s proposals he would have a “statutory” position in the broader rail network which includes commuter trains going in and out of London. City Hall said he would focus his attention on rail services which serve Greater London.
‘Democratic deficit’
“It begs the question – where will his fiefdom end?” a government source said. “Rail lines don’t just stop on the borders of the GLA [Greater London Authority].
“Labour plans would aid and abet Sadiq Khan’s war on the suburbs and the places just outside London who did not vote for him.
“This risks a fundamental democratic deficit for people who live in Kent and Surrey and all other places around London who will have the decisions of a mayor – who they cannot vote for – impacting on their lives.
“He has form on going after the Tory voting suburbs to raise revenue and make a quick buck. There are definite parallels to the Ulez expansion which has been hitting people who are just over the boundaries of the GLA. The concern is in the nightmare scenario, these proposals would allow him to do that not only on the road but on rail too.”
A spokesman for the mayor said: “The operators running the capital’s suburban rail services have been letting down Londoners year after year. The experience of commuters has been one of delays, poor service and unjustified hikes in fares.
“The mayor thinks Londoners and commuters who travel to work in the capital deserve better. That’s why he’s calling for rail devolution to TfL of certain lines, prioritising services that run largely within Greater London.”
A Labour spokesman said: “Labour wants to bring decision making as close as possible to the communities it serves.
“That’s why under Labour, devolved leaders in Scotland, Wales, and mayoral combined authorities will have a statutory role in governing, managing, planning and developing the Great British Railways network.”