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Chris Grayling says he's being picked on for being "a lightning rod for the anti-Brexit brigade"

Chris Grayling (PA)
Chris Grayling (PA)

Chris Grayling’s pro-Brexit stance is the reason he experiences so much criticism – according to the Transport Secretary himself.

Speaking to The House magazine, he said that his profile as “a lightning rod for the anti-Brexit brigade” and a “prominent Brexiteer in the Cabinet” are the likely reasons he experiences so much flak.

He added that he wasn’t afraid to make “big and sometimes unpopular calls if they’re the right thing to do”.


Mr Grayling last year faced criticism for the new train timetables that caused travel chaos for many, while a significant number of the reforms he implemented in his previous role as Justice Secretary were swiftly overturned by his successors.

He told The House: “There are a few people who clearly would like to see me removed; the RMT union being a case in point. I’ve been very clear in saying that the railway industry needs to be able to modernise without the unions standing in the way.

“Every politician gets flak from time to time; you just have to take it on the chin and get on with the job.”

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He said that the RMT union had “been trying to get me to resign for the last nine months”, adding: “This is a trade union that regards Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party as too right-wing to affiliate to and wants to stand in the way of modernisation of the railways.

“The railways need to modernise. So, inevitably, from an organised left-wing trade union, you’re going to get some missiles fired. But I’m going to do what I think is right.

“I’ve also made some big calls – like the expansion of Heathrow, the right thing for the country but politically difficult and unpopular with some vested interests.

“And that’s similar with some people who want to have a go because I’m pro-Brexit. A lot of people out there want to frustrate the democratic will of the British people who voted to leave the EU and because I’m a prominent Brexiteer in the Cabinet who backs the Prime Minister’s deal I’m a lightning rod for the anti-Brexit brigade.”