Who is who at the DfT and Defence

With the new government settling down for what could be a five-year stay the Prime Minister has announced the initial ministerial team at the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Ministry of Defence.  

Louise Haigh (36), Secretary of State for Transport, is the youngest female Cabinet Minister ever to be appointed.  She was elected as the MP for Sheffield Heeley in May 2015 and has held a number of shadow ministerial roles, including Shadow Secretary of State for Transport 2021-24. She visited the latest British Airways A320 neo at the Show, hosted by Tom Stoddart, Managing Director of BA CityFlyer and BA EuroFlyer.

Haigh served as a Special Constable in the Metropolitan Police 2009-11 and worked for Aviva as a public policy manager 2012-15.

Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South, has been appointed a Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the DfT to include the “Future of Roads” programme.   She served as a Shadow Transport Minister 2011-15 and as Shadow Transport Secretary 2015-16. She subsequently joined the Transport Select Committee 2017-20.

Haigh has also appointed Simon Lightwood, MP for Wakefield and Rothwell, as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the DfT. Lightwood was first elected at a by-election in 2022 and was Shadow Minister for Local Transport until the General Election, a role he is expected to fulfil now, although the responsibilities of the new ministers have yet to be confirmed.

Mike Kane became the Member for Wythenshawe and Sale East in 2014 and now is responsible for maritime, aviation and security.

Looking after the railways is Lord (Peter) Hendy of Richmond Hill. Peter, not to be confused with his brother, Baron (John) Hendy KC, a barrister, a proper transport man having worked his way through TfL from a graduate trainee to Commissioner of Transport for London, gaining a knighthood for his work with the 2012 Olympics. He is also Chair of Network Rail, appointed for two years until June 2025.

The new Secretary of State for Defence is the experienced Yorkshireman John Healey (64) a parliamentarian since 1997, and previously serving in both the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown governments. At Defence Procurement is Maria Eagle, a Liverpool MP since 1997, who served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet.  The Minister of State for the Armed Forces is now Luke Pollard, since 2017 representing Plymouth Sutton.

Farnborough is in the Aldershot constituency which changed hands at the General Election.  The MP is now Alex Baker (Labour).  Tradition is for the local MP to be seen at the Farnborough International Airshow.

www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-july-2024

Postscript – Earlier editions of TNU managed to get the two Hendy’s muddled up. Both are in the Lords. This is the correct version.

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