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Labour and the No 41

The Yardley Labour Party are complaining that National Express Group have simply axed the 41 regardless of criticism.

That is because of the bus management or regulation system. It is no good Labour complaining about the system, but also criticising me for asking the Prime Minister about bus regulation.

They have had 13 years during which the system in Birmingham could have been changed to run the same way as that in London.

What happens in London is that the service is defined by the Local Authority - in this case the GLA or Transport for London. Then bus companies tender to offer that service.

It is known as Sector Tendering.

It is that system we need in Birmingham (and throughout England).

That is what I asked the Prime Minister about. Yardley Labour are quite happy that the PM ignored that question. Indeed they think the Prime Minister should not have been asked the question.

The Prime Minister has often been asked questions by Labour MPs about bus services. Why it is wrong for a Lib Dem to ask a question about bus regulation and not wrong for a Labour MP I really don't know.

In the mean time considerable work is going into getting a new bus service to deal with the problems caused by the removal of the No 41.

I will also continue working to get a better bus management system for Birmingham regardless of Labour criticisms.

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