9 June 2017
RMT Press Office
RMT and commuter groups say Tory losses on Southern Rail Routes due to company failures on safety and services
RAIL UNION RMT said today that a bunch of significant Tory losses overnight are down to the long running dispute on Southern Railway over the axing of guards and the impact on safe, accessible and reliable services.
The Conservatives lost seats in Croydon, Eastbourne and Brighton, while a number of others have become marginals, including Hastings where Home Secretary Amber Rudd came close to defeat.
Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said:
“These results prove that the toxic Southern Rail franchise was a game changer in key seats along the routes served.
“RMT is demanding that the axing of the guards is reversed and the union will harass Theresa May and the transport ministers in her minority government every step of the way as we step up the fight to put safety and access to services before private profit and greed.”
Passenger groups have backed the RMT claims and have also pointed out that the Tories were hit by the fact that they buried the Gibb report into Southern/GTR for the duration of the election campaign in a desperate attempt to hide the truth about the failing franchise.
RMT has said that it will ramp up the campaign for public ownership of the railways as the minority Tory Government collapses into chaos and recrimination.
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