With CPT’s announcement of CEO Simon Posner’s departure, it’s important that CPT keeps it lobbying balanced
When I returned home from my summer break the last thing I was expecting to hear was that Simon Posner has left the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), having been its Chief Executive for the best part of 10 years and, before that, its Deputy Director of Communications under the late David Watson.
Although his departure felt sudden and unexpected, in practice I suspect this was no real surprise to either Simon of senior people in the industry.
A new approach
I recall that in his inaugural speech has the new President back at the CPT Annual Dinner on 1 February, Martin Dean said that a new style of lobbying was required – or words to that effect – and I see from the CPT press release announcing his departure, Simon said that he had decided to move on “after a great deal of thought”. So perhaps his departure is not too much of a surprise after all.
I know that some members of the CPT have for some time now wanted to see a more vocal, desk-thumping style in its dealings with Government, a style that Simon was never going to adopt – it simply isn’t in his DNA, and he didn’t believe it would pay dividends for the members anyway.
So, if Martin’s coments about needing a new style of lobbying suggests that the CPT wants to adopt this more vocal approach, I’m not that surprised Simon has left.
A balance
I don’t actually think there’s a right and wrong “style” of lobbying. As with most things, it’s a balance and it all depends on the circumstances.
I suspect that some in the industry think that a more vocal, higher profile CPT would have avoided the then Chancellor of the Exchequer’s proposals for bus franchising in Greater Manchester.
More engagement
The flaw with that it that even Department for Transport officials were unaware of the plans for franchising being negotiated by the Chancellor with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority until literally just a few a few days before they emerged.
Perhaps the Chancellor just didn’t realise ho controversial his proposals would be. Maybe. But it’s said the Combined Authority made franchising a condition of the entire devolution ageement, and the Chancellor was evangelical in his commitment to devolution.
But there’s no point musing on past events. Whoever replaces Simon will presumably be expected to adopt this more vocal and high-profile approach. Certainly, with a number of local authorities contemplating franchising, this case for deregulation still needs to be made.
But if CPT members want a more vocal chief executive, they too will need to be far more engaged with their local authorities and other stakeholders than I beliebe they have been – something I have said more than once in the past.
When I returned home from my summer break the last thing I was expecting to hear was that Simon Posner has left the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), having been its Chief Executive for the best part of 10 years and, before that, its Deputy Director of Communications under the late David Watson.
Although his departure felt sudden and unexpected, in practice I suspect this was no real surprise to either Simon of senior people in the industry.
A new approach to the future
I recall that in his inaugural speech has the new President back at the CPT Annual Dinner on 1 February, Martin Dean said that a new style of lobbying was required – or words to that effect – and I see from the CPT press release announcing his departure, Simon said that he had decided to move on “after a great deal of thought”. So perhaps his departure is not too much of a surprise after all.
I know that some members of the CPT have for some time now wanted to see a more vocal, desk-thumping style in its dealings with Government, a style that Simon was never going to adopt – it simply isn’t in his DNA, and he didn’t believe it would pay dividends for the members anyway.
So, if Martin’s coments about needing a new style of lobbying suggests that the CPT wants to adopt this more vocal approach, I’m not that surprised Simon has left.
A balance
I don’t actually think there’s a right and wrong “style” of lobbying. As with most things, it’s a balance and it all depends on the circumstances.
I suspect that some in the industry think that a more vocal, higher profile CPT would have avoided the then Chancellor of the Exchequer’s proposals for bus franchising in Greater Manchester.
More engagement
The flaw with that it that even Department for Transport officials were unaware of the plans for franchising being negotiated by the Chancellor with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority until literally just a few a few days before they emerged.
