Dear Helen and Sarah
Thank you for yesterday's email.
It is disagreement in policy, as you wrote, Helen. However, it is that policy that has been founded on so much weird and wonderful English eccentric logic and wishful thinking that it amounts to incompetence over these forty years. Even from the 1950s when the first tram network was obliterated, followed by far too many railway lines wiped out. It continues to this day with the DfT's and Network Rail's last railway "of national strategic significance" being turned into, at best eventually, the world's very first principal, mainline intercity train-tram-train railway between Derby, Dudley and Devon.
My questioning on Radio WM of Andy Street on the 25 July may have sounded as though Andy was correcting me and I was all over the place! However, the material below shows another side to the matter. Andy is a lovely man but does rather like to put a good gloss on everything. He is always so cheerfully optimistic and pleasant, as though not the slightest thing has gone wrong. But they have, as I have shown. He is obsessed with trams and is not prepared to admit to the problems journalist Peter Madeley uncovered over a shortfall in funding for three major transport projects in 2022. Andy was not open and honest, as I invited him to be on the 25 July. As a result, he misled the listening public, as I wrote in my previous email. This is a disciplinary matter and should be followed up, please. Again, as with Cllr Mike Bird, as a conversation between the two of you. No more formal than that, please Helen.
The BBC recording of what was said may still be available if you act quickly. My own partial transcript is correct, however.
In addition, even more importantly, I really should be allowed to see the evidence for Andy's assertion in the interview that the DfT had given the green light for the mainline railway being turned into a tramway. I have asked for the evidence in an FoI request but I have heard nothing. My own evidence is that they have not, as here:
Can I please see the proof?
Many thanks for your help, Helen.
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