London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Aslef leader calls Grant Shapps a liar in row over rail strikes

Aslef leader calls Grant Shapps a liar in row over rail strikes

Mick Whelan denied transport secretary’s claim of unofficial strikes on Avanti West Coast trains
The leader of the rail drivers’ union has called Grant Shapps a liar over allegations the union was pushing an “unofficial strike” relating to overtime shifts.

The transport secretary tweeted that passengers using Avanti West Coast services should expect disruption on Sunday because of unofficial strikes. Aslef said that it had not pushed any industrial action on Sunday and said the shortage of services was because of the shortage of drivers.

Shapps tweeted: “UNOFFICIAL STRIKES: Passengers using Avanti West services should expect disruption today. Archaic rules from 1919 mean working on rest days is voluntary. Unions now stopping drivers volunteering – causing misery for public & staff who won’t get paid. We MUST modernise rail.”

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, replied to the tweet, saying: “Grant Shapps is a liar. He is not only wrong, he knows he is wrong.

“His propensity to lie is just one reason why he could not get enough backers to get in the ballot to become Tory party leader. That and the fact that he is not very good at his job.

“The truth is that the company does not employ enough drivers to deliver the services it promises passengers it will run. The company, and the minister, should stop lying and start recruiting.”

Avanti West Coast said it had previously always had staff volunteer for overtime in order to cover weekend shifts for about 250 trains – with a “pool of extremely reliable drivers” willing to do so. “We have a longstanding agreement with drivers for them to work shifts as overtime,” a spokesperson said.

“Literally overnight, the number for this week has dropped to fewer than 10 trains covered by overtime. The drivers have, en masse, withdrawn their volunteering.”

The spokesperson for the firm said it was now facing “multiple short-notice cancellations” on its network from Monday and that cancellations were likely to continue until the current industrial dispute is settled.

“We are sorry for the enormous frustration and inconvenience this will cause our customers and condemn the drivers’ actions. We urge them to engage in meaningful talks around modernising working practices and developing a railway fit for the 21st century,” they said.

More strikes are planned in August by Aslef, the RMT union and the TSSA in worsening rows over pay, jobs and conditions.

Aslef members at Avanti will strike on 13 August as part of the long-running dispute over pay and conditions, but the union said no action is being held before then.

Whelan has previously accused Shapps of lying about negotiations over this summer’s rail strikes after Shapps claimed the RMT is “stalling on reform” and that Aslef “is dragging its feet in negotiations”.

Whelan said Saturday’s strikes had been solidly observed and showed the strength of support. “That shows the solidarity of our members and their determination not to be pushed around by Grant Shapps, the Department for Transport, and the train companies.

“After keeping Britain moving during the pandemic, they expect our members, who have not had an increase in pay since 2019, to keep working, effectively for a pay cut.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×