Transport secretary labelled ‘Failing Grayling’ after Carillion collapse

Just when he probably thought that personal criticism of his performance was starting to die down, the demise of HS2 contractor Carillion gave Chris Grayling’s critics a new stick to beat him with in the media.

Rik Thomas

19 January 2018

Chris Grayling’s award of significant contracts concerning HS2 to Carillion when the latter was already in financial difficulties drew strong criticism from across the media in early January

Although he remained in post after the Prime Minister’s cabinet reshuffle on 8 January, transport secretary Chris Grayling has become the target of a veritable barrage of personal criticism from the media in the early weeks of 2018.

On 5 January, for example, Times columnist Edward Lucas suggested that: “Chris Grayling’s gimmicks have failed rail users. The transport secretary’s decision to bail out Virgin and Stagecoach shows his inability to see what the network...