Why Heidi Alexander becoming Transport Secretary should be good news for London

Such was the precocious respect successful which the then-former Labour MP was held, successful peculiar for her efforts to forestall Transport for London going bankrupt during the pandemic.

Then, aft she stepped down from the Transport for London committee successful June this year, aft six years of service, TfL commissioner Andy Lord led galore tributes by saying: “Heidi is simply a beloved person to galore of america and volition beryllium sorely missed.”

As such, arsenic the caller Transport Secretary, Ms Alexander volition cognize the demands of London’s transport strategy amended than anyone – successful particular, TfL’s request for semipermanent investment.

The lone interest from City Hall’s position volition beryllium whether Ms Alexander, with work for the full country, volition beryllium nether further unit not to amusement immoderate favouritism towards the capital.

Ms Alexander, who had discontinue arsenic Jeremy Corbyn’s shadiness wellness caput successful 2016, stepped down arsenic Labour MP for Lewisham East connected becoming lawman politician for transport successful 2018.

But she discontinue the £132,000-a-year relation successful December 2021, having stayed connected aboriginal than initially planned due to the fact that of the situation affecting TfL and the delayed mayoral election, which was held a twelvemonth aboriginal than planned due to the fact that of the pandemic.

She rounded connected the past Tory-run Westminster assembly for its absorption to the projected CS11 rhythm superhighway that would person linked Swiss Cottage and Oxford Street, saying it was a “disgrace” that it resorted to tribunal enactment successful the week a pistillate cyclist – aboriginal named arsenic Sarah Doone - was warring for her beingness aft a collision with a cement mixer astatine Old Street roundabout.

Ms Alexander said astatine the time: “It could person been me. I can’t undo what happened past week but I volition bash everything successful my powerfulness to guarantee that we bring down the complaint astatine which pedestrians and cyclists are killed and earnestly injured connected London’s streets.”

Mr Khan asked Ms Alexander to stay connected the TfL committee contempt having discontinue arsenic lawman mayor, which she did until June this year.

Paying tribute erstwhile she yet stood down aft six years, Mr Khan said Ms Alexander had “always demonstrated large enactment and calmness”.

He said she had made a “significant contribution” to London successful 2 captious areas – bringing Crossrail in-house to alteration the Elizabeth enactment to yet beryllium completed, and keeping TfL afloat and operational during the pandemic.

“We privation her each occurrence for the future,” Mr Khan added – possibly with cognition that she would yet go a Government curate and perchance state successful Whitehall.

TfL commissioner Mr Lord, speaking successful June, said Ms Alexander had made a “fantastic contribution” and “six years of dedicated service” to TfL, including to his predecessors Mike Brown and Andy Byford.

Mr Lord said: “Her publication to improving nationalist transport successful London cannot beryllium overstated.

“During her clip arsenic lawman mayor, including during the darkest days of the pandemic… she has consistently offered dependable advice, intelligent absorption and sensible scrutiny to officers to navigate immoderate of the challenges of the past fewer years.”

On Friday, arsenic she was unveiled arsenic the replacement for Louise Haigh arsenic transport secretary, a well-placed root told The Standard that Ms Alexander was “exceptionally good respected” crossed TfL during her clip arsenic lawman mayor.

“She is exceptionally hard-working, agleam and committed. She is besides a quality being – and a bully person. Even the astir hardened cynics warmed to her,” the root said.

Mr Khan said successful 2021: “She is without uncertainty 1 of the astir dedicated, resilient and respected politicians I person ever worked with and I privation her each the champion for the future.”

Ms Alexander said astatine the clip that she was particularly arrogant of her enactment connected Crossrail, “protecting escaped question for children and young people, cleaning up London’s aerial and making cycling safer”.

Her assignment arsenic Transport Secretary has been welcomed by campaigners.

Paul Tuohy, main enforcement of Campaign for Better Transport, said: "With her wealthiness of acquisition arsenic lawman politician of London for transport, she volition beryllium well-placed to instrumentality guardant the captious reforms that person already been acceptable successful question to marque transport enactment for each radical and each places.”

Sarah McMonagle, manager of outer affairs astatine Cycling UK, said: "She brings a wealthiness of acquisition arsenic the erstwhile lawman politician for transport successful London and is simply a cyclist herself.

“Heidi has actively engaged with Cycling UK for galore years, and we look guardant to gathering connected that narration arsenic she takes guardant her caller brief."