Ruth Cadbury MP is elected as Transport Committee Chair - Transport Planning Associates

In the wake of July’s general election in the UK, work has been underway to set up parliamentary select committees to oversee the work of various government departments and agencies. 

Of particular interest to many transport consultants and their clients will be the news of the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Brentford and Isleworth, Ruth Cadbury, being elected Chair of the Transport Committee. 

Members of the House of Commons voted on 11th September for Ms Cadbury to take up the position; the other candidates standing for election were Catherine Atkinson MP, Grahame Morris MP, and Fabian Hamilton MP. 

“Transport touches every aspect of our lives” 

Responding to the news of her elevation to the role of Chair, Ms Cadbury declared it was “a great honour to be elected by MPs from across the House of Commons”. 

She continued: “Transport touches every aspect of our lives, from getting to work to seeing our loved ones and ensuring we can buy the goods we need. Furthermore, the local transport challenges vary considerably across the country. 

“Working cross-party, this Committee will continue to champion the sector and consumers across the country. I can’t wait to start working with my new colleagues on holding the Government and service providers to account.” 

Ms Cadbury has a track record of taking on a wide range of transport matters. A Shadow Minister for Housing under then-Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn from 2016 until 2017, she went on to serve as Shadow Minister for Planning during 2021, following Sir Keir Starmer’s rise to the positions of Labour leader and Leader of the Opposition. 

Over five years as an active member of the Transport Committee, Ms Cadbury worked on inquiries encompassing such important subjects as the National Bus Strategy, electric vehicles (EVs), HGV and port facilities, inclusive transport, and rail service levels. 

In addition, she has previously assumed roles as Chair or Co-Chair of four transport All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs): Transport Safety, Women in Transport, Cycling & Walking, and Airport Communities. 

A warm welcome to the Chair position from CIHT 

Among those to respond to the Brentford and Isleworth MP’s election to the committee role was Sue Percy, chief executive at the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT). 

Ms Percy commented: “I would like to congratulate the new Chair of the Transport Select Committee, Ruth Cadbury MP into her role.” 

She said she was “pleased” to see Ms Cadbury take the helm of the Committee, on the basis of her credentials as “a passionate advocate of transport… including her important work as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Women in Transport”. 

The learned society proceeded to state that it looked forward to “working with the Government and the Transport Select Committee to enable the delivery of better transport networks, that work for all.” 

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