Shaken and Stirred - RDG's Quigley and new arrival Thomas

Word reaches Eye of some changes at the Rail Delivery Group.

Christine Quigley, Head of Public Affairs, has been poached by Keolis as their new Director of Communications. Prior to joining RDG Christine was special advisor to then Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Mary Creagh. In her spare time Christine treads the boards as a stand-up comedian (Shurely a mandatory skill for anyone in railway comms? Ed). Christine starts her new role at Keolis in June.

John Thomas will join RDG as new Policy Director in July. John has railway form, from 2001 to 2011 he was an economist at ORR. Most recently he has been in the Middle East developing new railway networks across the region and has advised the World Bank.

Presumably the arrival of Thomas at RDG will be causing palpitations in One Kemble Street?

Gibb Report spiked - Official

This written response from Paul Maynard confirms what Eye predicted last week...

Caroline Lucas Green, Brighton, Pavilion: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 20 January 2017 to Question 60337 and 21 March 2017 to Question 67853, on what date he received the (a) advice and (b) set of recommendations developed from the advice from Chris Gibb; if he will publish all documents received from Chris Gibb in full before Parliament prorogues ahead of the 2017 General Election; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport): Chris Gibb’s findings were received by the Department on 30 December 2016. The Department will not be publishing Chris Gibb’s findings before Parliament prorogues however we intend to publish Chris Gibb’s report in full, with minor redactions to protect commercially sensitive material, and the Government’s response in due course.

So no, you can't see the Gibb Report before the election on account of the fact that it is probably too embarrassing for DfT.

Jones unlucky at Hornchurch and Upminster

Further to yesterday's post on Simon Jones seeking selection as Tory candidate for Hornchurch and Upminster

This from Conservative Home...

Cllr Julia Dockerill... won [last nights] selection in Hornchurch and Upminster by an outright majority on the first ballot.

Back to business as usual in the DfT SpAds office...