I hardly know what to make of it! At Prime Minister’s question time in the Commons last week the Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, chose to use buses as his first and primary question to Theresa May.
We might have a crisis over the state of the government’s Brexit negotiations, with glaring signs of a split in the Cabinet on the right negotiating strategy that is as wide as the Grand Canyon; ministerial resignations on this are anticipated on a near daily basis, Jaguar Land Rover is adding its name to a growing list of major businesses expressing concerns over the state of play with Brexit, and you would think that Jeremy Corbyn might seek to use the government’s disarray on Brexit to lay knockout punch after knockout punch on the poor, hapless Theresa May.
But no, instead, he chooses to use buses as another example of the government’s failure, as he sees it, to support public services. He didn’t raise the state of bus services once, but six times.
I can’t recall the last time that buses featured as the number one issue in Prime Minister’s question time. Perhaps it was the launch of Catch the Bus Week two days before that prompted him to focus on the issue?
Either way, I’m sorry to report that his line of questioning showed yet again the shallow nature of the debate that so often characterises political discussion about bus policy.
Jeremy Corbyn bemoaned the government’s failure to give powers to local authorities, so he’s obviously totally unaware of the powers that authorities have under the Bus Services Act.
He bemoaned, too, the cuts in funding to local authorities, and it is certainly true that this government has cut funding dramatically. But inevitably there was no recognition of the powers that authorities have to raise additional funding through the council tax if they believe that supporting local bus services is a priority.
Jeremy Corbyn told us that bus services are in crisis with routes being cut and patronage falling, a situation he claimed that’s leading to more congestion. But if routes and services are being cut, how, Jeremy, can that be leading to more congestion?
Still, never mind, the humble bus has had its moment in the spotlight.
Bus was relatively safe territory for Jeremy Corbyn. His party is as divided on Brexit as is the Conservative Party, so Brexit is dangerous territory for him. So perhaps it won’t be the last time we hear him rage against the Conservatives on bus policy.
