Justine Greening replaces Philip Hammond as Transport Secretary
Mon 24 October 2011
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Justine Greening, MP for Putney and the former Economic Secretary to the Treasury, has replaced Philip Hammond as Transport Secretary following the resignation of Dr Liam Fox. Mr Hammond replaces Dr Fox as Defence Secretary while Chloe Smith replaces Ms Greening as Economic Secretary to the Treasury.
Justine Greening was born in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, She attended her local comprehensive school before studying economics at Southampton University. She has an MBA from the London Business School and was a Finance Manager at Centrica plc before being elected as the Member of Parliament in May 2005.
Following her election Ms Greening was appointed as a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for youth. As well as previously being a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, in 2007 she became a Shadow Treasury Minister and in January 2009 became the Shadow Minister for London. She had been Economic Secretary to the Treasury since the May 2010 General Election.
Shortly after her selection for the post, Ms Greening was called to give evidence before the Transport Select Commitee. According to uncorrected evidence published by the Committee, Ms Greening replied to a question from committee member, Graham Stringer MP's question about her definition of transport 'sustainability' as follows:
"It (sustainability) means that transport is playing its role in ensuring that for us as a nation we meet our climate change targets. We see sectors like aviation coming within the emissions trading scheme for the first time next year, and that is good. There is a European agenda that helps to drive this area, but there is also an important domestic agenda. We have £400 million or £500 million invested in things like the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
"If you look not just at the Department for Transport but the Treasury, where I was recently, the Government have put in place a number of different policies-and continued some of the previous Government’s policies-to try to stimulate the shift to greener transport. Looking at electric cars, as many have been sold in the first six months of this year as were sold in the whole of last year. The problem is that we are starting from a very low base. It is on my agenda to see what we can do to pursue that green transport agenda effectively. When we talk about railways and high speed rail, they are lower carbon than, for example, road in terms of per passenger mile."
Ms Greening was also asked her view on the current consultation to raise the motorway speed limit to 80mph. She replied: "The 70 mile an hour speed limit has been in force for a long, long time. A lot has changed in road management and vehicle safety and vehicle technology." She added: "It is quite right to look at whether it is appropriate to raise it. It is a sensible question to ask."
The Daily Mail reported that Ms Greening supports the proposed increase to 80mph (see associated link).
Ed Miliband has also announced changes in Labour's Shadow Cabinet and ministerial line-up following the resignations of John Healey and John Denham. Chuka Umumna joins the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. Caroline Flint becomes Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change while Mary Creagh becomes the new Shadow Secretary of State for Environment (Defra). Maria Eagle remains Shadow Transport Secretary.
Labour's Shadow Transport team under Maria Eagle now includes the MPs Jim Fitzpatrick,Lilian Greenwood and John Woodcock as well as Rt Hon Lord (Bryan) Davies and Lord (Richard) Rosser.
The Shadow Business, Innovation and Skills team under Chuka Umumna includes the MPs Iain Wright, Shabana Mahmood, Gordon Marsden, Chi Onwurah, Toby Perkins and Ian Murray MP as well as Lord (Wilf) Stevenson and Lord (Tony) Young.
The Shadow team at DECC under Caroline Flint is MPs Tom Greatrex,Luciana Berger and Rt Hon Baroness (Angela) Smith.
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