Department

previous Transport Secretary, who was an
opponent of a third runway at Heathrow.
Dispensing of Greening was seen as a means
of reopening the debate on the Government’s
plans for Heathrow expansion, a view
strengthened when days after the reshuffle the
DfT set up a commission, led by Sir Howard
Davies, which was tasked to review the
Government’s options for increasing airport
capacity.
Even in 1989 McLoughlin
was lamenting over airport
capacity in the South East
These issues are not new for McLoughlin.
His previous time at the DfT was spent as
Minister for Aviation. Even in 1989 he was
lamenting over airport capacity in the South
East. The Davies Commission will not be
reporting back until 2015, instead two issues
will be the focus for McLoughlin; railways
and roads.
McLoughlin admitted that he has a penchant
for sleeping on the train home to his Derbyshire
Dales constituency. But one project he will
need to be fully awake for is the mammoth
HS2, the high speed rail project costing £33bn.
Patrick McLoughlin is a politician whose
past holds him in good stead in his party,
and who can delve into the past for previous
experience at the DfT. But as Secretary of
State for Transport, he will be overseeing
infrastructure projects that will last decades
into the future.
26 | THE HOUSE MAGAZINE | march 2013