Photo: Flickr
Misery for thee, but not for me? Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick once again finds himself in the firing line, after it emerged that he is trying to circumvent government plans to close almost 1,000 rail ticket offices – for his own constituents only.
Posting in a community Facebook group this week, Mr. Jenrick told residents of Newark that he had ‘expressed concerns’ over the proposals to shut down public service stations across the country, saying that the move would impact disabled passengers and traveller safety.
Newark Northgate is one of the main stops on lines connecting London to the north of England. Hundreds of other stations have also been threatened with the loss of jobs and human interaction – but on this evidence, Jenrick only has eyes for those who can keep him in office.
The controversial policy isn’t popular with the public, but no senior Tories have asked for the move to be scrapped in its entirety. In fact, Jenrick’s plea to keep the station on his own patch open is as close as we’ve come to any sort of ‘revolt’:
“I am surprised that the ticket offices at Newark Northgate were listed for closure, and asked that this would be reconsidered. I have also voiced concerns raised by staff about their jobs, and I have expressed my support for them.” | Robert Jenrick
The penny might be dropping for some in government, but according to Prem Sikka, this sudden ‘concern’ does not go far enough. The top accounting professor believes that profits, rather than services, should be targeted to raise more money for the rail network.
“So the UK government to wants to close railway ticket offices, but Tory Minister Robert Jenrick wants to keep them for his town? Why inflict pain on others? Rail companies received a £13.3bn subsidy last year. We should cut their profits, not ticket offices.” | Prem Sikka
