Labour MP vows to stand up for freight in parliament
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By Laura Hailstone
ROB FLELLO, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, has absolved himself of his shadow justice role to focus his energies on freight.
He told CM: "Freight issues haven't got enough of a voice in parliament," and that he wanted to "make parliamentarians realise how important and essential freight is to the UK economy". "I was the shadow victims and youth justice minister, but because of a range of parliamentary interests, including freight transport,
I've spent the past couple of months toying with what was most important, as something had to go," said Flello. "I know someone will take over my justice role, whereas I didn't feel there was anybody to take on the freight stuff."
He plans to visit every IMP personally and highlight how important freight is to their constituency. "I'm sure there is not a constituency in the country, and therefore not a constituency IMP, that is not affected by the freight industry, whether they've got a port,
a rail terminal or a logistics hub in the region," said Flello.
He is looking for hauliers and logistics firms to also engage with local MPs.
"There are lots of angles and hooks to get MPs engaged with freight, and that's the mission for the next 12 months," he said. He added that the freight sector has started to recognise that the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Freight Transport — which he set up two years ago — is a route into parliament for
key issues.