Cheltenham MP To Become a Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Transport Committee

Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood has welcomed his appointment by Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg as chair of the Liberal Democrat parliamentary transport committee. He chaired his first meeting of the policy group last Wednesday. Martin’s new brief will cover all aspects of transport policy including rail, road, aviation, buses, cycling and alternatives to travel. In the last parliament, he was a shadow environment minister for the Lib Dems but as many senior Lib Dems have entered the coalition government, roles have changed to focus on co-ordinating policy with ministers and leading the development of new policy for the Liberal Democrat party. Lib Dem transport minister Norman Baker will attend the parliamentary committee whenever possible and Martin will have a direct line to the Department for Transport.

“I’m very pleased to have been given this role” said Martin. “It’s important that there is a Lib Dem voice outside government on key policy issues. We may be in government but we are still a separate political party with our own values and ideas as well. Norman Baker has brought his outstanding green credentials to government and we will be doing our best to support him. But we also need to look ahead to the party’s 2015 manifesto and keep the fresh, radical ideas coming.”

“It’s also a role that ties in very neatly with my responsibility to Cheltenham. Bus services, railway services and aviation are all local issues as well as national ones and I hope I will learn a lot from dealing with government that I can put to good use here as well.”