...but Grayling snubs north transport talks for debate on Heathrow

CHRIS Grayling has been accused of ‘running scared’ after he pulled out of a major summit on transport in the north – to be in London to debate Heathrow Airport.

The transport secretary was due to speak at the Northern Transport Summit at the Hilton hotel in Manchester today, alongside Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, transport operators and chief executives and council bosses.

The Department for Transport said Mr Grayling ‘recognised the importance’ of the event but would be in Parliament to vote on the expansion of Heathrow.

Aviation minister Baroness Sugg is due to attend in his place.

But Mr Burnham said on Twitter Mr Grayling’s decision to withdraw ‘tells you all you need to know about the government’s transport priorities’ and questioned whether he ‘couldn’t rely on the trains’ to get back to London in time for the vote on the airport’s planned third runway.

The RMT rail union meanwhile, which will stage a protest outside the summit over the ‘ongoing rail franchise fiasco’ and plans to axe guards from Northern services, said Mr Grayling had ‘chickened out’ of the meeting. General secretary Mick Cash said; “Chris Grayling is running scared. He’s scared of the passengers he’s hung out to dry and he’s scared of the staff whose safetycritical jobs his franchise shambles have left facing the axe.”

A cross-party group of MPs from across Greater Manchester meanwhile are demanding the government gives assurances over transport improvements and funding for the north during the Commons vote on Heathrow.

Led by Lucy Powell, 20 of our MPs have signed a letter to Mr Grayling, including Conservative MPs Sir Graham Brady, William Wragg and Mary Robinson.