Prime Minister on Night Riviera (28/05)

[800001]

At a guess, Special Branch would have been occupying the lower berth

How do we know he wasn’t in the room on his own? And just chose to sleep on the top bunk?

 

[irp]

How do we know he wasn’t in the room on his own? And just chose to sleep on the top bunk?

Granted, although IIRC , mostly they close up the upper bunk if it's single occupancy - Certainly that's always been my experience, and IIRC on the Penzance Sleeper that tends to be done at the Depot, or am I confusing with the Cally ?

 

[Horizon22]

Although it wasn’t the sleeper, I travelled with Boris Johnson on my train (I’m almost certain it was when he was PM (before Covid, but when there were no more HSTs)). There was security blocking off access to the end first class carriage of the IET, but no fuss other than that. They were obviously trying to keep it fairly quiet. At Taunton he was quietly ushered off through a side gate straight into a convoy of four by fours.

That’s a fairly small window of just 3 months (December 2019 - March 2020)!

 

[WesternLancer]

That’s a fairly small window of just 3 months (December 2019 - March 2020)!

He was pm before the dec 2019 election wasn’t he? From July 2019 Wikipedia says.

HST from London at least ended on gwr before that iirc. 2018?

 

[Lost property]

Is this a somewhat late, as he won't be PM for much longer, precedent for Sunak to actually lower himself to travelling by train ?

Out of interest, given he stopped at Honiton for, yet another and with more to come, uninspiring "speech ", did he return to London by train?

 

[800001]

Is this a somewhat late, as he won't be PM for much longer, precedent for Sunak to actually lower himself to travelling by train ?

Out of interest, given he stopped at Honiton for, yet another and with more to come, uninspiring "speech ", did he return to London by train?

The pm travels by train most weeks from London to/from his constituency.
Most people how ever will not see this as he and his small security team board the train minutes before departure.

 

[physics34]

Shame the driver didnt engage with him about the strikes.

 

[Cross City]

Shame the driver didnt engage with him about the strikes.

I'm surprised they found anybody happy enough to appear on TV and greet them into the carriage at Paddington.

 

[OuterDistant]

I saw pictures of him poking about in the cab of a locomotive after donning high viz

If this had have been my loco, he'd have been ordered out of there in no uncertain terms. Politicians of any colour have no place in the cabs of trains, IMHO.

 

[WesternLancer]

If this had have been my loco, he'd have been ordered out of there in no uncertain terms. Politicians of any colour have no place in the cabs of trains, IMHO.

Once there would have been times when there were drivers who were also politicians. May still be in the case of local govt. just not sure if any MPs are ex footplate.

 

[185]

Extra coach was added at Long Rock on Monday.

Over 50 years since GWR ran the last slip coach... 'oh, it fell off'.

 

[irish_rail]

If this had have been my loco, he'd have been ordered out of there in no uncertain terms. Politicians of any colour have no place in the cabs of trains, IMHO.

Glad I wasn't on sleeper yesterday that's for sure.

 

[ainsworth74]

One supposes that GWR probably tried to make sure that the staff the PM was expected to interact with were not likely to be actively hostile towards the PM...

Plus, coming at it from another angle, it would seem like an opportunity to try and educate as to the benefits of rail travel and the work that drivers actually do. It's not as if Rishi would have had much exposure to such jobs before. Therefore being actively hostile would potentially be counter productive.

 

[class 9]

I'm surprised they found anybody happy enough to appear on TV and greet them into the carriage at Paddington.

On of them was Mark Hopwood GWR MD.

 

[WesternLancer]

One supposes that GWR probably tried to make sure that the staff the PM was expected to interact with were not likely to be actively hostile towards the PM...

Plus, coming at it from another angle, it would seem like an opportunity to try and educate as to the benefits of rail travel and the work that drivers actually do. It's not as if Rishi would have had much exposure to such jobs before. Therefore being actively hostile would potentially be counter productive.

FWIW I fully agree with this.

Personal hostility to the people who ultimately run the railways (politicians) or if they are not running them they are at least deciding the money they get or what happens to them, is not really going to be a good recipe for a positive future for the railways, however frustrating it might be for the people concerned at the particular moment in time.

On of them was Mark Hopwood GWR MD.

Given the places represented by recent prime ministers he has probably had PMs on GWR trains since 2010

 

[Lost property]

The pm travels by train most weeks from London to/from his constituency.
Most people how ever will not see this as he and his small security team board the train minutes before departure.

Your formal response, "the PM", suggests you are a loyal supporter.

However, it's interesting to learn he does, ostensibly, travel by train. I am intrigued as to how he manages to do so unnoticed because his travel is subject to deep media scrutiny plus, he doesn't just rock up to a station in an Uber taxi, there's usually an entourage of people and vehicles which are "difficult to miss".

Does anybody think the NRM will be preserving the carriage in the future with a " R.Sunak slept here " sign ?

 

[WesternLancer]

Your formal response, "the PM", suggests you are a loyal supporter.

Frankly a ridiculous conclusion to draw.

And irrelevant to the thread whether people support "Sunak" (as I assume anyone who dislikes him should correctly phrase it given your post) or not. The thread being about his use of the GWR sleeper service.

And for the avoidance of doubt I have never voted for the PM/Sunak/Rishi 's party in any of the 5 decades I've had the vote, and can't ever see it happening in the future either.

As an aside it's worth noting that for the MPs/Ministers that are entitled to a government security detail (and in the case of the PM and a few other Ministerial posts this is for life IIRC), I suspect it's highly likely that the security services don't really want them travelling by train as they probably find it easier to keep them and the environment around them secure from a wide range to threats using other modes of transport.

 

[takno]

Your formal response, "the PM", suggests you are a loyal supporter.

However, it's interesting to learn he does, ostensibly, travel by train. I am intrigued as to how he manages to do so unnoticed because his travel is subject to deep media scrutiny plus, he doesn't just rock up to a station in an Uber taxi, there's usually an entourage of people and vehicles which are "difficult to miss".

Does anybody think the NRM will be preserving the carriage in the future with a " R.Sunak slept here " sign ?

I have no idea whether the PM travels from his constituency by train or not. Personally I find it a bit fanciful, but whatever. I think you're overstating the size of the entourage in normal times though. If a PM is going home for the weekend they generally won't be taking any advisors with them, the security detail isn't more than a couple of people, and there won't be any hangers on like the press.

 

[WesternLancer]

Does anybody think the NRM will be preserving the carriage in the future with a " R.Sunak slept here " sign ?

Well, I think the NRM should preserve a Mk3 sleeper, so they could well choose one used by a PM in an election campaign if that adds a bit of interest as far as I'm concerned. And if that is an election campaign resulting in a 'historic defeat' I've no problem with that.

 

[AndrewE]

I thought it was funny that it looked as though he was on the footplate of the depot shunter, probably one of the oldest locos on the railway and almost certainly older than him!

 

[800001]

Your formal response, "the PM", suggests you are a loyal supporter.

However, it's interesting to learn he does, ostensibly, travel by train. I am intrigued as to how he manages to do so unnoticed because his travel is subject to deep media scrutiny plus, he doesn't just rock up to a station in an Uber taxi, there's usually an entourage of people and vehicles which are "difficult to miss".

Does anybody think the NRM will be preserving the carriage in the future with a " R.Sunak slept here " sign ?

What an absolutely ridiculous start to a reply!!
My political choices have no relevance to anything I write on here!

As for entourage, he travels with several special movements police officers.

He travels in part of a carriage where other customers are moved away.

He boards the train about 2-3 minutes before departure when 99% of customers have boarded.

As for media scrutiny, well the media do not do there job very well, as it is more or less a weekly occurrence.

 

[WesternLancer]

As for media scrutiny, well the media do not do there job very well, as it is more or less a weekly occurrence.

Yes, this could be the same 'deep media scrutiny' that the OP mentioned in post #1 with The Sun's political correspondent claiming the train had no power points for passengers . So wafer deep perhaps.

It seems to me that the aspects of the PM's travel that gets the scrutiny is the travel that plays to the stereotype or narrative of his wealth - ie the use of helicopters and aircraft. But that is what the print media especially like to do and have done for many a decade.

 

[Clarence Yard]

The press don’t usually publish anything that could compromise security arrangements so you rarely see vVIPs boarding or alighting from trains unless it is for a photo op. Regular travel arrangements are never publicised.

For example, the general travelling public will usually be blissfully unaware of which station entrances or exits are used for the person concerned and sometimes the special punter will arrive or depart unobtrusively, without too much fuss and without a huge cavalcade of vehicles.

 

[DarloRich]

He boards the train about 2-3 minutes before departure when 99% of customers have boarded.

As I said above: Same as when William Hauge was MP for Richmond. ( I saw him on the train several times )

Northallerton station is quite convenient for Sunak to visit his local property. I wont identify it but everyone within 50 miles knows where it is

 

[800001]

As I said above: Same as when William Hauge was MP for Richmond. ( I saw him on the train several times )

Northallerton station is quite convenient for Sunak to visit his local property. I wont identify it but everyone within 50 miles knows where it is

Protesters sitting on the roof usually give it away

 

[sh24]

For example, the general travelling public will usually be blissfully unaware of which station entrances or exits are used for the person concerned and sometimes the special punter will arrive or depart unobtrusively, without too much fuss and without a huge cavalcade of vehicles.

I've seen Princess Anne come and go from Paddington a few times. Very unobtrusively with a single Bentley and Range Rover as escort.

 

[DarloRich]

sometimes the special punter will arrive or depart unobtrusively, without too much fuss and without a huge cavalcade of vehicles.

Hauge strolled up last minute, boarded with his security men and apologised to everyone he passed on the train for any inconvenience his appearance caused them which was a decent touch.

The other times I saw him on the train he tended to be working and reading papers. TBH you wouldn't have known he was there unless you knew he was there! I never saw him get any chew on from anyone. He was sat in the normal carriage with peopel around him. They didn't clear a space just for him although he always had a table and 4 peopel round him.

I assume things will be slightly different for the PM but Hauge was leader of the opposition and foreign secretary so quite senior.

 

[800001]

I've seen Princess Anne come and go from Paddington a few times. Very unobtrusively with a single Bentley and Range Rover as escort.

I’ve seen Princess Anne on a train, she sits with her security people at the same table. You would think she was a normal lady travelling with others.

Where are as other people, Prime Ministers, chancellor etc sit at a table on there own, while there security sit at other tables.

 

[DLyle44004]

Do we reckon Sunak had a can of Tribute from the bar car though?

 

[175001]

Do we reckon Sunak had a can of Tribute from the bar car though?

He doesn't drink