Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, has resigned from her role following media reports of a spent conviction of fraud.

Her conviction was made following a ‘terrifying’ mugging in 2013, when she was 24-years-old. She reported to police that a work phone had been stolen during the incident, but later discovered it was still in her house. In her resignation letter, she said: “I should have immediately informed my employer and not doing so straight away was a mistake.”

According to news reports, having discovered her phone, she switched it on and this triggered a response by the police, who called her in for questioning. Her solicitor advised her not to comment during the interview. She pleaded guilty to making a false report to police at a magistrates’ court and received a discharge.

“I appreciate that whatever the facts of the matter, this issue will inevitably be a distraction from delivering on the work of this government and the policies to which we are both committed,” she said in her resignation letter to the Prime Minister. “I will always be grateful for the support you have shown me, and I take great pride in what we achieved since the election.”

“My appointment to your Cabinet as the youngest ever woman remains one of the proudest achievements of my life, but not as proud as the steps we took to improve the lives of the British people” – Louise Haigh

She continued: “I am proud that we have also taken the first steps to putting buses back in the hands of passengers and local people, work which will be completed by the Buses Bill when it is laid next month. My appointment to your Cabinet as the youngest ever woman remains one of the proudest achievements of my life, but not as proud as the steps we took to improve the lives of the British people.”

New Integrated National Transport Strategy

This development follows her announcement of the government’s vision for ‘more joined up and locally-led transport across England’. The Integrated National Transport Strategy recognises that different passengers have different needs, and the quality of transport varies across the country. It is to set out how government can support local areas to make all forms of transport work together better. It is to set out a vision for how transport across England can evolve over the next ten years ‘so that more places offer better, more seamless journeys door-to-door – like those facilitated by the successful Bee Network in Greater Manchester and Transport for London’.

Haigh said Dijon in France provided inspiration, a city the size of York that is running buses every five minutes in rush hour. Dijon has also created a single app that brings together every mode of transport.

The department is also reforming its appraisal system, focusing on ensuring projects deliver good value for money as well as the right outcomes. These reforms include giving sufficient weight to transport projects deemed to enhance access to jobs, boost productivity and help businesses grow, particularly in less affluent areas. To support this, an internal panel of experts are also reviewing the department’s capital spend portfolio.

In what is perhaps her last speech as Transport Secretary, Louise said: “Integrated transport in this country is lagging behind our European counterparts, and for too long our fragmented transport networks have stunted economic growth and made it harder for people to get around.

“Today, I’m launching a new national vision of transport that seamlessly joins all modes of transport together, and puts people at the heart of our transport system.

“I want everyone to be able to contribute to this vision and have launched a call for ideas on how the strategy can best deliver greater opportunity, healthier communities and better lives.

“Regional roadshows will be hosted around the country to hear more from local leaders, transport operators and passenger bodies, as well as taking feedback from the public, to hear how to best deliver integrated transport.”

To oversee this new vision, the department will be recruiting a new Integrated Transport Commissioner to help deliver real change.