Scheduling blunder leaves MPs without meetings

TRANSPORT SECRETARY Chris Grayling was forced to postpone some of his planned meetings with MPs furious over the rail timetabling fiasco – due to scheduling issues.

Labour MP Lisa Nandy tweeted: “You literally could not make this up. Chris Grayling is having to rearrange or cancel meetings with MPs about Northern today because he underestimated demand and cannot make the timetable work.”

Meanwhile, Tory ex-Minister Grant Shapps suggested he could be late to his meeting due to the Govia Thameslink delays he was due to discuss with Mr Grayling.

Mr Shapps tweeted: “Was all going so well with my quest to meet the Transport Sec to discuss the trains. BUT... on reaching Finsbury Pk we’ve hit long delay. Turns out this @GNRailUK train awaits another driver who – you guessed it – is delayed on a late running train. You couldn’t make it up! #Fail.”

The meetings with Mr Grayling and Rail Minister Jo Johnson were postponed after the Commons statement was granted, taking up some of the time set aside for talks.

But Ms Nandy suggested the Government had underestimated the likely demand from angry MPs, adding: “Is there any understanding of the scale of this crisis in Whitehall?”

The Department for Transport denied cancelling any meetings.

A source said: “Between the statement to the House and MP meetings, the Transport Secretary has set aside from about 2pm this afternoon to until about 10pm tonight to speak to colleagues.

“Some meetings today now have to be moved as this morning we were granted a statement on this issue. No meetings have been cancelled.”