Rail Minister Hendy has a tough job… but the skills to succeed

There was no shortage of dropped jaws when news came through about the appointment of the recently ennobled Lord Peter Hendy as rail minister.

This was certainly a left-field move, taking everyone (perhaps even himself) by surprise. And it raises numerous questions about how he will handle the change from Network Rail chairman and long-time transport manager to being the minister responsible for railways.

However, as well as surprise, there was almost total support for Hendy, with many of my contacts in the industry praising Sir Keir Starmer for what they saw as an “inspired” appointment.