Adonis named new Transport Secretary

Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon quit his position in the government on Friday, to be quickly replaced by Lord Adonis.Mr Hoon was the third cabinet minister to quit within a matter of 24 hours as a result of the ongoing expenses scandal and political turmoil within the Labour party.Mr Hoon attracted criticism when it was discovered that he was claiming second home allowances on two properties whilst living in a third property in London.Prime Minister Gordon Brown is in the process of reshuffling his Cabinet, following a number of high-profile resignations, including Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Environment Minister, Jane Kennedy.The PM is in the process of reshuffling his junior ministers as Labour government tries to recover from a record low 15.3 per cent vote share in the European elections.Under-secretary of state for the Department for Communities and Local Government, Sadiq Khan has been also been promoted to minister of state for transport in the government reshuffle.Leading trade body the Freight Transport Association (FTA) today welcomed the appointment of Lord Adonis as the Secretary of State for Transport, but warned that continuing political turmoil could weaken government focus on transport issues yet further.FTA Chief Executive Theo de Pencier said: “With three transport secretaries in less than a year, it has often felt more like a conveyor belt than a serious office of state. We have already made some good progress with Lord Adonis, who seems to have grasped the challenges facing the freight industry in his short time at the Department for Transport. I hope that he will ensure this momentum is not lost, especially during this economic crisis, which has put many companies in the transport sector on their knees.“Investment in the UK’s infrastructure is a long-term issue, not one dictated by parliamentary terms, or even politicians’ careers. If the Government really wants to show they are in control, they need to remain focused on the job in hand, and not allow themselves to get distracted by internal issues.”

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