Mention Chris Grayling’s name to an MP, journalist or official working in Westminster and you will inevitably be greeted with a smile and then a shake of the head.
Dubbed “failing Grayling” by his opponents and even some Tory MPs in private the embattled transport secretary has staggered from one calamity to the next unabashed and undeterred.
His actions really started to come into focus last May when a timetabling fiasco led to hundreds of journeys a day being cancelled across Britain’s railways. On that occasion he famously sidestepped blame, saying “I don’t run the railways”.
He again attracted derision in December when it emerged a company he had selected to run medicine supply ferries in the event of a no-deal Brexit had no ships, nor had it ever run a ferry service.
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Moreover, it was later revealed that the terms and conditions posted on the company’s website appeared to have been copied-and-pasted from a food delivery firm.
The contract was eventually cancelled, but on Friday the decision came back to haunt Mr Grayling. His department was forced to agree a £33million out-of-court settlement with Eurotunnel who were unhappy with how the contract had been awarded.
To make matters worse Friday also saw the publication of a National Audit Office report which found reforms to the probation service that Mr Grayling oversaw when he was at the Ministry of Justice had been “extremely costly” for taxpayers.
It was no surprise therefore then that on Monday Labour tabled an urgent question demanding Mr Grayling come to the Commons and explain himself. What was a surprise was the government’s decision to put up health secretary Matt Hancock to answer.
The rationale offered by Theresa May’s official spokesman was that as the supply ferries would carry medicines it was a matter for the Department of Health.
Asked in the morning lobby briefing what Mr Grayling would be doing instead of answering the question, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “I’m guessing he’s working in his department”. How long for is anybody’s guess.
