
BRITAIN’S Deputy Prime Minister today told rail workers set to inflict more strike misery on London and across the train network that their “jobs are on the line”.
In a forthright intervention, Oliver Dowden warned them, and the rail unions, that they should not take “Londoners and commuters for fools” as they could be pushed into “permanently adapting away from using the railways on a routine basis”.
This could plunge the rail industry into decline with the walkout days, already tipping London’s economy into the “doldrums”, threatening to undermine the capital as a “really top global city” if the industrial action is sustained longer term.
In an interview with the Standard ahead of the Tory annual rally in Manchester which starts on Sunday, Mr Dowden also:
⬤ Pushed the next election choice as between “energetic Sunak and staid Starmer”.
⬤ Appealed to Tory voters considering switching to the Liberal Democrats in the southern Blue Wall seats by arguing it would mean Sir Keir as PM and higher taxes.
⬤ Told how the Tories will go on the offensive to gain some seats in London and its commuter belt, including in Enfield and St Albans.
⬤ Denied a US presidential election coinciding with a British general election could destabilise the West amid the Ukraine war arguing that “strong, robust democratic institutions”, including elections, were a strength.
⬤ Told how as the minister overseeing Whitehall’s emergency Cobra system, his biggest strike worry was the combined walkouts by consultants and junior doctors which created a “dangerous” situation in the NHS.
Denne historien er fra September 29, 2023-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 29, 2023-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Hospitality braced for bloodbath as Reeves's timebomb finally explodes
Restaurants are making stark choices to survive

Munya Chawawa on how to lose yourself in the real Japan
Hidden forest temples, secret anime action and a heavenly hotel where the actor and comic forgot about time itself

Out, damn spot: the new technology that promises to clean your blood of microplastics
Flesh, blood — and plastic. That’s what we’re made from these days, with studies finding microplastics in almost every part of the human body, from the brain to the heart.

On the run
Whether you want to exercise on your next getaway or explore the wilderness closer to home, these items are practical, versatile and easy to pack. Words: Amanda Canning and Georgia Stephens

Rock'n'roll is alive and kicking
Time to dust off the shades and the leather for wildcard firebrands The Murder Capital

At the table What a mercurial, bewildering change of course
Though plagued by doubt as much as anyone — more? Less? Oh god, now I'm not sure — I tend to think none of us are ever-fixèd marks, bound to the same mistakes and impotent to change. Who we are and what we do might vary with the weather, or a few pints. A capricious bent is nothing to be ashamed of.

“I want to get my mark down early - you don't want to be the person who gets rolled over
It is hard to know which of Lando Norris's hopes and dreams will prove most difficult to obtain.

Experience an unforgettable stay in Puglia, with Puglia Paradise
Immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of Puglia. Wake up to Italy's most spectacular scenery, with its azure sea, authentic local food and the warmth of its people

Hospitality braced for bloodbath as Reeves's timebomb finally explodes
Restaurants are making stark choices to survive

Time for Potter to be bolder with Hammers youth stars
Boss has golden opportunity to blood club's top academy talent