Weekend Variety ...

... Political Posturing

There may be trouble ahead!

Keir Likes Trams!

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is determined a tram network in West Yorkshire "does happen and happens quickly".

Tracy Wants Trams!

Well, one route would be a start!

The orange one!

Tracy's Buying Buses, Loadsa Buses

The Prime Minister backed up calls by the region's mayor Tracy Brabin ...

Does she wish we would all
forget Coronation Street?

... that a planned mass transit system should be in the form of a tram, rather than an improved bus network.

Keir Wants Votes

Speaking on a visit to York, he said: "The mayor of West Yorkshire is absolutely passionate about this. She wants a tram and I think that's right, so let's just get on with it now."

Brabin said: "It is always good to have the prime minister on your side by saying 'tram' rather than 'mass transit'."

Tracy Wants Cash!

"That is how you unlock growth, by improving transport. You know mass transit has been under way for a number of years but we are now committed, working with government to deliver that tram network," she said.

"This is part of my Weaver Network, that integrated transport system that is part of bus franchising but also a tram, and bicycles, electric bikes, and I know that government want to work with us to get it delivered at speed." 

Tracy Wants Cash, Loadsa Cash!

 Would You Vote For Andy?

Happy Andy?

fbb has a slight suspicion that, were he a voter in the Makerfield constituency, and were he a passionate supporter of the Labour Party (he is neither), he would NOT vote for Andy in the by- election.

That's because Andy has no deep desire to represent the people of Ashton in Makerfield in the House Of Commons. He just wants to be Prime Minister.

It is worth reminding ourselves that nobody votes for a Prime Minister at any parliamentary election. Anyone who prognosticated politically "that the nation elected Keir Starmer to be Prime Minister", is 100% wrong.

It is drivel! Like all the other MPs he was elected as the MP for Hollborn and St Pancras and nothing more.

First, Andy has to be chosen as the Labour Party candidate for election as MP for Makerfield.

He has wangled that, but no one quite knows how.

So, to become PM, Andy has to be elected as MP for Makerfield; he has to resign as Mayor of Manchester; he has to have the support of 50 MPs to stand in an election to be Leader of the Labour Party. He then has to garner enough votes from Labour Party Members, Union Members and Labour MPs to be elected as Leader.

Then the King has to invite him to form a Government. Then he has to gain enough support from MPs to create a viable working Government.

Only then might he get  to be Prime Minister.

There is no guarantee that he will leap over the next hurdle and be elected MP in Makerfield

There are 13 others who want the job, most of whom have absolutely no chance of winning!

Either way he will cease to have any involvement in yellow buses adorned by bees.

Until then (more like IF then) he is still boss of the bees.

Burnham urges mayors to move fast on buses.

There’s few policies that you can introduce that get more noticed than changing the colour of every bus,’ Greater Manchester mayor tells podcast.

Hmmmm?

Paint the buses (and trams) yellow and everything will instantly be wonderful?

Andy Burnham has urged UK mayors to take control of their bus networks as quickly as possible, arguing that the benefits outweigh the transition costs.

He said bringing Greater Manchester’s buses into the publicly controlled Bee Network has been highly visible and popular, helped by rebranding buses ...

... with yellow paint and a furry insect (?) ...

... and reducing fares. Burnham believes bus franchising can help address the cost-of-living crisis by making public transport more affordable and accessible.

Reducing fares? Increased local taxation? Increased government subsidy and of grants?

Hmmm?

Andy Is Spending Cash, Loadsa Cash

He expects other city regions, including Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle, to follow Greater Manchester’s model, making public control of bus services a major UK transport trend this decade.

Andy (or his succesor) Wants Cash, Loadsa Cash!

Richard's Got Money Problems

Richard Parker, West Midlands Mayor

We hear somewhat less from Richard than from Andy, Steve and Tracy. Of course he wants to run buses in the West Midlands ...

... but maybe he us waiting to see how the Three Up-front Busketerrs get on before he gets in too deep. So the PTE is left to speak out.

Travel West Midlands Wants Cash, Loadsa Cash

TfWM warns half of bus network at risk

Escalating fuel costs and wider operating pressures have prompted TfWM to seek extended support to maintain services ahead of move to franchising

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) wants to extend its Bus Network Support Grant until November, warning that up to 49% of commercial bus services could be withdrawn without continued subsidy.

TfWM estimates service cuts would affect more than 65 million passenger journeys this year, while existing support has protected nearly 400 million journeys since 2021 and helped maintain network stability ahead of bus franchising.

Rising operating costs, particularly diesel prices, are increasing financial pressure on operators, with TfWM concluding that subsidy remains necessary even if fares rise by 25%.

The proposed funding package would require operators to maintain services, share data and support regional transport plans, while TfWM argues that a temporary subsidy is the most practical way to preserve the network during the transition to franchising.

It's All Going Jolly Well For Franchising!

========================

For the next few days, in a snippet on each blog, fbb will outline the possible reasons, the experiences and the possible consequences of the last week or so. The squeamish or hospital phobic should not read this diary!

EIGHT DAYS INSIDE (Wednesday 20th May)

It's all about Melena? And that'not the name of a nurse.

If you get a bleed in the upper digestive tract, your body eats the blood - it is ingested. But there is a waste product called melena which is black, oily and horrible. Unfortunately the rest of your digestive system does not like melena. It rejects it violently.

Hence fbb's waste disposal explosion.

But he didn't know that at the time.

Wisely, as it turned out, the fbb's cancelled their holiday starting on 21st.

So they hoped the fbb interior nasty would go away.

It didn't but became much less but remained nasty.