Eye welcomes The Scrawny Controller

So welcome Philip Hammond, MP for Runnymede and Weybridge and now Secretary of State for Transport.


Eye salutes Tory uber-blogger Iain Dale for suggesting Hammond's appointment at 08:25 this morning!

No matter.

Biog below with a bowler tip to the Industry Forum:

Philip Hammond has been a Member of Parliament representing Runnymede and Weybridge since 1997. He previously fought a parliamentary by-election in Newham North-East in 1994. Philip was Secretary of the Conservative Party Health Committee and has also served as a member of the Select Committee for Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Trade & Industry Select Committee.

In June 1998, Philip was appointed to the Opposition Front Bench as Shadow Minister for Health. In September 2001, he was appointed Shadow Trade & Industry Minister with the additional role of Shadow Minister for Small Business.

From 2002 to 2005, he was Shadow Minister for Local Government. In this role Philip was responsible for developing Conservative Party policy on local government finance (including council tax), the Fire and Rescue Service and traveller management.

In May 2005, he became the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. From December 2005 until July 2007, Philip served as the Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, when he was re-appointed Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

And one piece of good news.

Today's egalitarian Conservative party couldn't have selected a better man to tackle the thorny issue of Network Rail governance.

With a personal fortune estimated at £9m Hammond will clearly not feel too inferior at his first meeting with NR's bonus encrusted directors.

UPDATE: This from Fareham Philip...

Although representing Weybridge, Philip Hammond did not want to travel up to Westminster on his local SWT Class 450 every day as his constituents have to.

So he bought a second house in London and charged the taxpayers over £100,000 (as reported in Telegraph) for paying his mortgage and running it.

Perhaps a daily 2nd Class commute on the 3+2 seating of a 450 will enlighten him a lot more as to the problems of the railway industry.

Pointless signs - Tottenham Court Road

This via the London Underground blog...


Snigger.

Gordon Brown resigns...

You'll get the story elsewhere.

Meanwhile...



Tomorrow Ministers announced!

UPDATE: Gordon insults HMQ shocker!



With a big bowler tip to David Schneider!

Railway Garden Competition - Retford

This from a Mr Swift...

Wow, just look at this beauty, snapped this morning at Retford station.

I have watched the flora bloom and develop over the past five years, outliving both GNER and NXEC.

Soon beautiful coloured flowers will pop out for the delectation and delight of station users and passengers on passing trains.
Such a shame that there is only one train every two hours, but never mind I am sure the display will also outlive state owned East Coast.

Railway Garden Competition - Bournemouth

A splendid early start to the season at Bournemouth - beloved of the bucket and spade brigade.

The extra large ice cream cones in the near distance add to the seaside theme.


All it needs now is a burnt out motor for the kiddies to play with.

What a happy scene of neglect and desolation. Good effort.

The Jesuit approach to romancing the railways

This from Captain Deltic, via MMS....

All credit to toyshop chain, the Early Learning Centre, who are leading the fight back against anthropomorphic tank engines with this recognisable A4 in garter blue:

A very timely suggestion. The Fact Compiler is just popping into town...

UPDATE: Captain Deltic adds...

I should have mentioned for those of the Stanier persuasion there is also a stream-lined Coronation in maroon livery.

However, grand-daughter naturally preferred Sir Nigel's design.

RMT has cake and eats it

This diatribe from the RMT...

RMT today repeated its pledge to fight the tube and TfL cuts, including the threat to jobs following the final collapse of the PPP shambles with the buying out of the Tube Lines contract

Not a word of praise, of course, for Boris hammering the final nail into the coffin of the despised Public Private Partnership

Nor indeed of criticism for the doomed scheme's architect...

One Gordon Brown, currently holed up under squatter's rights in 10 Downing Street.

NatEx continues to exorcise Bowker legacy

Telegrammed by our International Correspondent
So National Express Group are not renewing their sponsorship deal with the Football Association.

Of course the deal was originally done by Blackburn Rovers fan Richard Bowker, before his departure to head up Union Railways in the United Arab Emirates.

This from the Grauniad...

The Football Association is facing a new financial headache after it emerged that the transport giant National Express would not be renewing its multimillion-pound sponsorship deal.

Of course this news is probably of limited interest to Eye readers.


But what a marvelous opportunity to publish a picture containing two things that have vanished forever from the East Coast Main Line.

Pointless signs - Dorking West yesterday

This valuable information available on the platform monitor at Dorking West on Sunday 9th May 2010.


With a bowler tip to JR.

Railway Garden Competition - King's Cross

Good to see that Network Rail have given up the ghost at managing vegetation.

This taken at King's Cross on Thursday.


What a disgrace!

Railway Garden Competition - Chislehurst

With a bowler tip to @Kpmarek, Via Twitter

Election 2010 - Farewells

So farewell former Transport Ministers Chris Mole (Ipswich) and Paul Clark (Gillingham) who both lost their seats.

Minister of State Sadiq Khan was returned as the Member of Parliament for Tooting.

And the unelected peer and Secretary of State for Transport also retains his House of Lords seat... for life.

Election 2010 - the result

The Fact Compiler is now £250 short.

And Wolmar is now £250 richer.

Thanks Dave!

UPDATE: This from The Master...

Look on the bright side, you'll probably get a chance to win it back in October....

Election 2010 - What's on the wireless tonight.

This with a bowler tip to Channel 4 News...

22:00 ITV News, BBC and Sky report the result of the exit polls. Traditionally a strong indicator of the results, the margin for error could be even greater this year.

23:15 Houghton and Sunderland South
Expected to be the first constituency to report, trying to beat the fastest count set in 2005.

00:30 Birmingham Edgbaston
The first key Labour/Conservative marginal expected to declare. The Tories need a 2 per cent swing.

01:00 Battersea
Another key Conservative target, with the party needing a swing of just 0.5 per cent in this Labour marginal.

01:00 Torbay
Lib Dem marginal. The Conservative party is looking for a 3 per cent swing to win back the seat lost in 1997.

01:12 Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
Gordon Brown's constituency, this is a safe Labour seat with a 43.6 per cent majority over the SNP.

01:50-02:00Thurrock, Batley & Spen and Carlisle
Three Labour seats to watch as the Tories battle for a 6-7 per cent swing in votes.

02:00 Rochdale
A Lib Dem seat targeted by Labour, now infamous for 'bigotgate'.

02:00 Norwich South
The Lib Dems would need a small swing to win this Labour seat, which also has a good strong from the Greens.

02:00 Guildford
A Conservative seat under fire from the Lib Dems, which could nail it with a small swing.

02:13 Burnley
Labour currently hold a near-on 15 per cent majority here, but if a fall to Lib Dems would indicate huge gains for the latter – and a hung parliament for the country.

02:15 Sheffield Hallam
Nick Clegg's constituency.

02:30 Kingswood
The Tories benchmark target, the fall of this Labour seat near Bristol would suggest a Conservative majority.

03:00 Morley and Outwood
Ed Balls' constituency, David Cameron himself campaigned at this Labour seat to rally voters. The Tories need a 10 per cent swing.

03:00 Glasgow North
One to watch as a gauge of Lib Dem performance – they would need a 6 per cent swing to swipe this seat from Labour.

03:00 Luton South
A bellwether for the overall victor, since 1951 the winning party has triumphed here. A win here – where Esther Rantzen is running for the Independents - would signal a Tory majority of 50.

03:06 Chorley
A Labour seat targeted by the Tories, who would need an 8 per cent swing. Who ever has won this seat has won the election since 1964.

03:20 West Dorset
Oliver Letwin could lose this Tory seat to the Lib Dems with a swing of just 2.3 per cent.

03:30 Brighton Pavillion
The Green Party's best chance of securing their first Westminster seat.

03:34 Witney
The Tory leader's constituency, David Cameron holds a 26.8 per cent majority over the Lib Dems.

04:00 Edinburgh South West
Chancellor Alistair Darling’s seat, a fall to the Conservatives would be unlikely in Scotland and would need a swing of 8 per cent.

04:00 Barking
Targetted by the BNP, Nick Griffin is hoping to secure the party's first seat from Labour's Margaret Hodge.

04:00 Islington South
An inner London seat currently held by Labour, but targeted by the Lib Dems.

04:39 Romsey and Southampton North
The Lib Dems currently hold a majority of just 125 over the Tories.

04:45 Poplar and Limehouse
Labour seat being targetted by Respect's George Galloway, who would need a swing of 11 per cent. Housing Canary Wharf and the Docklands, it has also been targeted by the Tories.

05:00 Redditch
Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is fighting to keep her seat. The Tories would need a swing of 2.6 per cent to win.

05:30 Hammersmith
A Tory win over Labour here would show the party is on track to reach Downing Street.

Friday morning
A further 39 constituencies will declare results by 5pm.

14:30 Buckingham
Speaker John Bercow faces a challenge by former UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

15:00 Morecombe & Lonsdale
The Conservatives need a 5.9 per cent swing to win.

Happy days!

Railway Garden Competition - Waterloo

This from Fiona Gail....

This glorious scene taken at Waterloo today.

Is Network Rail perhaps planning to enter the station into this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show?


Alternatively is this Coucher-code for who should be in 10 Downing Street tomorrow?

Fact Compiler praises Labour candidate - Shocker

The Fact Compiler is a great fan of Tom Harris.

Whilst not sharing his politics the Fact Compiler believes Tom to be a friend to the railways and boy do we need them!

More importantly he also voted against the evil and pernicious smoking ban (don't get me started).

With the above in mind Eye is happy to find space for Tom's "Prime Ministerial" (in the words of Iain Dale) election podcast.



Nice!

Good luck in Glasgow South today Tom.

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic....

There is only one weak point in Tom's masterly broadcast.

The choice of subject to illustrate transport.

Eye followers might like to brighten up the wait for the end of polling by suggesting more apposite examples in the same light-hearted spirit?.

To get things going I would suggest a Saunders Roe Princess or Bristol Brabazon in the air as a forerunner of IEP (planes specified by civil servants).

Or since we really should have a railway subject, how about the Bulleid Leader?

UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...

No brainer!


For the non-kettle heads it's an Austerity...

Wolmar deserts Labour - Shocker

In a move that looks destined to break the Noble Lord's heart it appears that his bezzie mate Wolmar has succumbed to Cleggstacy!


Perhaps not quite in the same league as the Tories buying Facebook for the day...

UPDATE: This from Wolmar...

Is the Fact Compiler getting nervous about our wager on an absolute Tory majority?

I think we should be told!

Meanwhile the ads on my site do not reflect my editorial policy!!

Railway Garden Competition - Southend Central

With a bowler tip to @AMonkster, via Twitter.

Election 2010 - Exclusive - Results in full !

Telegrammed by Haruspex
Having examined the entrails Eye's political forecaster makes the following predictions:

Conservative victory

• IEP cancelled
• Thameslink de-specified
• Crossrail delayed

Labour victory

• Crossrail delayed
• Thameslink de-specified
• IEP cancelled

Hung Parliament

• Thameslink de-specified
• IEP Cancelled
• Crossrail delayed.

You heard it here first.

Railway Gardens - An Inspector speaks

Plainly planning inspectors know nothing about the railways.

This prejudiced view from The Royston Weekly News...

A planning inspector told a public inquiry into Royston’s proposed £3.7 million railway underpass that he would need “some convincing” to approve the scheme that would halve some residents’ gardens.

Had the aforementioned planning inspector spent anytime reading Eye he would know that Railway Gardens are an industry speciality.