Lord Adonis has quit his role as head of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) citing the government’s mishandling of Brexit and the Stagecoach/Virgin bailout.
The Labour peer and former transport secretary said the government had “broken down” under the strain of Brexit but the final straw came last week as it was revealed there would be a bailout of the Stagecoach/Virgin on the East Coast rail franchise.
Adonis said it would result in millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money would be used to fund the bailout, allowing Virgin Trains East Coast to walk away from its franchise three years early.
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In his resignation letter, which he confirmed on Twitter, Adonis stated: “The European Union withdrawal bill is the worst legislation of my lifetime,” adding that Brexit was a “populist and nationalist spasm worthy of Donald Trump”.
Adonis, who was transport secretary under Gordon Brown between 2009 and 2010, has chaired the NIC since 2015.
Commenting on the resignation, chief executive of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE), Dr Nelson Ogunshakin, said: “Throughout his career Lord Adonis has served infrastructure well, yet he can be especially proud of what he achieved as chair of the National Infrastructure Commission where he was a champion for our industry at the heart of government.
“We urgently need to secure a credible individual, such as current deputy Sir John Armitt, to step up as chair to maintain the commission’s momentum and its vital role in reminding ministers and civil servants, who may be distracted by issues surrounding Brexit, of the long-term importance of infrastructure investment to the economy and society.”
