Taxi Driver Online

Minister for cycling Norman Baker leaves DfT in reshuffle, Maria Eagle loses Labour shadow transport role

Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Kramer and Tory MP Robert Goodwill join DfT team

Minister for cycling Norman Baker is to move from the Department for Transport (DfT) to the Home Office following today's ministerial reshuffle. Labour's Maria Eagle has lost her position as shadow transport secretary, being replaced by Mary Creagh - the pair swap roles, with Ms Eagle moving to Ms Creagh's former post as shadow environment, food and rural affairs secretary.

The new shadow transport secretary Ms Creagh is a cyclist, and in May last year hit the headlines when she was 'bumped' from behind by a minicab while riding her bike in London - the vehicle in question being operator by controversial minicab firm Addison Lee, boycotted by cyclists earlier in the year as a result of anti-cyclist comments made by its chairman, John Griffin.

Replacing Mr Baker as the Liberal Democrat minister at the DfT is Baroness Kramer, who as Susan Kramer was MP for Richmond Park from 2005 to 2010, when she lost her seat to the Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith at the general election. She will be minister of state at the department.

Also coming into the DfT as parliamentary under secretary of state - the same level of position Mr Baker held - is Robert Goodwill, the Conservative MP for Scarborough & Whitby.

Yesterday, the other parliamentary secretary of state at the DfT, Conservative MP Simon Burns, resigned so he could contest the vacant position of deputy speaker of the House of Commons.

It's unclear at the moment whether Baroness Kramer will take on Mr Baker's full portfolio including responsibility for cycling, although British Cycling said on Twitter it looks forward to working with her and thanked the outgoing minister for his work.

A former banker, the Liberal Democrat peer remains director of a business she set up with her husband that provides advice on infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile, former justice minister Helen Grant, who last year met with representatives of British Cycling, CTC and other organisations to discuss the investigation, prosecution and sentencing in road traffic cases where vulnerable road users including cyclists are the victims, becomes the new sports minister.

She replaces Hugh Robertson, and British Cycling said: "We look forward to working with Helen to further Britain's growth as a nation of cyclists."

Today's reshuffle has not extended to Cabinet level jobs, so Patrick McLoughlin remains secretary of state for transport.

Labour Leader Ed Miliband howeverhas overhauled his front bench team, with Maria Eagle, who outlined Labour's support for cycling at the party conference in Brighton last month rbeing replaced by Mary Creagh, the former shadow transport secretary Ms Eagle apparently being moved as a result of her support for HS2.

According to The Times, Ms Creagh wrote to Addison Lee chairman Mr Griffin in the wake of that incident in May last year - she was unhurt - telling him: “I was interested to hear you a few weeks back on Radio 4, saying that your minicabs should be allowed into bus lanes.

“Perhaps you would be interested to hear my experience of one of your drivers today? I was at the junction of Bloomsbury Square and Tottenham Court Road, which is left turn only for vehicles, with an exception to go straight ahead for cycles. The lights changed and the road was blocked by a bus. I was on the right hand side of one of your vehicles and behind a van which could not move because of the bus.

“The lights changed back to red, the van ahead of me curled around the corner but I decided to wait at the red light rather than risk crossing the road as my sight line of any oncoming traffic was obscured. Your driver bumped into the back of my bicycle.

“When I observed that the lights had changed to red some five seconds earlier, he shouted and yelled at me.

“It was the first time I had been bumped in well over ten years. I am a slow, careful cyclist with excellent hand signals and always make eye contact with drivers.

“It was certainly an interesting experience to be barracked for obeying a red stop light when driver mythology has all cyclists down as light-jumping lunatics. Based on today’s experience, your drivers’ reputation for careful driving may be just as much of a myth.”

http://road.cc/content/news/95988-minis ... our-shadow

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Who?

He made a big impact on the trade then . . .

Interesting that Norman is now in the Home Office keeping an eye on the likes of MI5 and MI6.

Bet he wish he hadn't written this book now.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strange-Death-D ... 1842752170

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IDFIMH

A Minister for Cycling ..FFS! , the countries going to the feching dogs, they cant afford pensions that will be worth fech all, yet they have fechin time and money to waste on a bloody Minister for cycling, all you damned well need is a bloody bike and you can cycle anywhere in britain just like we did as youngsters.

Besides why get us healthier if they cannot sustain pensions for an ever increasing number of pensioners...have they gone doolally

Victims of their own Vacuous awareness of other road users is more likely to be their downfall..........why should they blame every one else for their stupidity.

There can't be many former coal miners in the Conservative Party and it's the first time I've actually known he was the secretary of state for transport. Thankfully the surname is spelled differently from that dreadful McLaughlin in Sefton

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Is this even worthy of inclusion in the news section it is a bit of a non event and has absolutely no impact on prospects for our trade

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Well I guess if you're not interested in knowing who the minister for transport is because you feel it has nothing to do with our trade, then no

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

find it amazing that an active forum member didn't know Norman Baker's remit covered taxis and private hire......and he was the one who was responsible for inviting the Law Commission to get us some new taxi laws

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

The Law Commission?

Who are they?

MUG

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Well I'm not so sure.

Norman, I think, is a big delimit fan who was in a position to delimit the country.

Now he is not in that position.

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IDFIMH

Why you aint so sure?

Wouldn't be because you actually knew Norman Baker's responsibilities included Taxis would it?

As for newsworthy, well, I strangely think it is.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Minister of State for Transport

Baroness Kramer




Biography


Baroness Kramer was appointed Minister of State for Transport in October 2013. She is a Liberal Democrat Peer.

Education

Baroness Kramer was educated at St Paul’s Girls’ School and St Hilda’s College, Oxford.

Political career

Highlights include:
•Liberal Democrat Candidate for Mayor of London 2000
•Board Member Transport for London 2000 to 2005
•MP for Richmond Park 2005 to 2010
•Member of Treasury Select Committee 2005 to 2006
•Shadow Secretary of State for International Development 2006
•Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 2006 to 2007
•Shadow Secretary of State for Transport 2007
•Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office and Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 2007 to 2009
•Member of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards 2012 to 2013
•Minister of State for Transport October 2013 to present

Career outside politics

Baroness Kramer began her career in finance and became a Vice-President of Citibank in Chicago. She and her husband then set up Infrastructure Capital Partners, a firm which advised on infrastructure projects, primarily in Central and Eastern.

Personal life

She was married to John Kramer for 34 years until his death in 2006. She has 2 children and 3 grandchildren.



Department
for Transport

Minister of State for Transport


The minister is responsible for:
•HS2 – Phase Two
•rail – funding and futures (including RIS, SOFA, ORR, stations policy)
•cities and urban renewal (including growth deals and Heseltine Review)
•localism and devolution
•local connectivity (including smart ticketing, buses, taxis, light rail and trams)
•accessibility and equalities
•future transport (including OLEV)
•natural environment (including biofuels)
•SMEs
•international

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin