Richard Holden, the former Under-Secretary of State for Transport, has been appointed Shadow Transport Secretary.
The MP for Basildon and Billericay will return to the transport field amid Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch’s latest cabinet reshuffle.
Mr Holden was Minister for Roads and Local Transport from October 2022 to November 2023.
He was then promoted to Chairman of the Conversative Party and replaced by Guy Opperman.
Gareth Bacon has moved from the Shadow Transport Secretary role to lead Housing and Planning.
Mr Holden’s short stint with remit for bus and coach was, in general, positively received by the industry. He spoke at the Euro Bus Expo in November 2022, within two weeks of taking up the role. He also urged collaboration as a means to solving PSVAR issues, and acknowledged the similarities between coach and HGV when it comes the approaches needed towards decarbonisation.
He says: “It is an honour to have been appointed the Shadow Transport Secretary…
“As Roads and Local Transport Minister in the last Conservatives Government, I extended the £2 bus fare cap and helped ensure it was a clear Conservative manifesto commitment. A commitment Labour did not match as they abandoned the policy in Government…
“Under my brief, I will work with fellow Conservative MPs to push for reliable, affordable, joined‑up transport that genuinely serves people’s lives and local communities. Ahead of the next election I will also hold the Government’s decisions to account on every aspect of transport policy for the UK and internationally.”
Since Labour took over in government, he has criticised the party for increasing the fare cap to £3. In May, he visited First Essex’s Basildon depot for the launch of a new battery-electric bus fleet.
