Transport Committee members have been formally appointed by the House of Commons. Seven are Labour MPs, including Chair Ruth Cadbury – who was named in September – while the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats each have two representatives on the 11-strong committee.
Parties have their own process for making nominations to fill seats on committees. Individual nominees put forward were agreed in the House of Commons following a Committee of Selection meeting.
Perhaps most notable among Transport Committee members is Dr Scott Arthur. He became Labour MP for Edinburgh South West at the general election, having been a councillor in the Scottish capital since 2017.
In May 2022 he was appointed transport and environment convener of the City of Edinburgh Council and subsequently became Chair of Transport for Edinburgh.
Via his personal blog, Dr Arthur describes himself as “absolutely passionate about public transport” and says that he is “always proud of how both Lothian Trams and Lothian Buses define our city.”
Dr Arthur has also supported the Edinburgh Low Emission Zone and called for greater public transport provision. He previously criticised the Scottish Government decision to pause the Bus Partnership Fund and its delivery of priority infrastructure measures.
All 11 members of the Transport Committee are:
- Ruth Cadbury – Labour, Brentford and Isleworth (Chair)
- Steff Aquarone – Lib Dem, North Norfolk
- Dr Scott Arthur – Labour, Edinburgh South West
- Catherine Atkinson – Labour, Derby North
- Elsie Blundell – Labour, Heywood and Middleton North
- Olly Glover – Lib Dem, Didcot and Wantage
- Katie Lam – Conservative, Weald of Kent
- Alex Mayer – Labour, Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard
- Baggy Shanker – Labour, Derby South
- Rebecca Smith – Conservative, South West Devon
- Laurence Turner – Labour, Birmingham Northfield.
In a speech on 22 July, Ms Cadbury lauded the government’s plans for the Better Buses Bill. In particular, she described the current ban on local authorities in England from establishing new municipally owned bus operators as an “ideological and control-freakery policy.” Labour plans to lift that via its bus reform measures.
Ms Cadbury added via that address that she looks forward to seeing other areas following the lead of Greater Manchester and rolling out bus franchising.
Mr Turner has already sought clarity on what funding will be provided by central government to mayoral combined authorities to deliver franchising. Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker favours that approach and hopes to start the process in 2025.
