The UK’s rail minister received an award-winning engineer sacked for chatting with the media about security issues at London Euston station, whereas in his former position.
Peter Hendy, who was the previous chair of Community Rail, threatened to withhold contracts from his employer — one of many UK’s largest rail consultancy corporations — until the engineer was dismissed.
Information web site Politico revealed Lord Hendy was angered after the engineer, Gareth Dennis, instructed a journalist that overcrowding on the station was ‘unsafe’.
Mr Dennis spoke concerning the situations of overcrowding, notably when a number of trains are delayed or cancelled, whereby hundreds of individuals collect within the concourse.
A letter from Lord Hendy to the engineer’s employer SYSTRA, was obtained by Politico final week, beneath the Freedom of Info Act (FOI).
In keeping with the web site, the letter warned that ‘discovering a potential provider criticising a possible customer displays adversely in your probability of doing enterprise with us or our provide chain.’
Peter Hendy, (pictured) who was the previous chair of Community Rail , threatened to withhold contracts from his employer — one of many UK’s largest rail consultancy corporations — until the engineer was dismissed
Mr Dennis spoke concerning the situations of overcrowding at London Euston, notably when a number of trains are delayed or cancelled
The e-mail despatched to the rail consultancy agency reportedly stated ‘the allegation that Community Rail is operating an unsafe operation is a severe one’.
Nevertheless, chatting with RailTech, Mr Dennis stated the feedback in query had been made throughout ‘a really tame interview’ with The Impartial.
He insisted he didn’t lay blame on a specific particular person, or that Community Rail wanted to ‘get its act collectively’, however stated it was a ‘situation of the historical past of the station’, which might ‘at all times be a problem and that must be handle’.
Lord Hendy, who despatched the letter in Could of this 12 months, was chair of Community Rail from 2015 till he grew to become part of Sir Keir Starmer’s new Labour authorities in July.
Mr Dennis was suspended on Could 20, in accordance with a letter from his employer seen by Politico, citing Lord Hendy’s criticism.
Additional emails present that on Could 24, Mr Dennis was supplied a monetary settlement to depart SYSTRA on the situation he signal an settlement with a confidentiality clause.
He didn’t signal it and was subsequently dismissed with 4 weeks discover on July 8 after a disciplinary listening to.
Lord Hendy, Downing Avenue, Community Rail, SYSTRA and the Division for Transport have been contacted by MailOnline for remark.
Shadow transport secretary Helen Whatley beforehand raised issues concerning the appointment of Lord Hendy following the whistleblower incident.
Shadow transport secretary Helen Whatley beforehand raised issues concerning the appointment of Lord Hendy to Sir Keir’s (pictured) new authorities following the whistleblower incident
She was quoted in The Impartial as saying: ‘We want a tradition in Authorities the place folks aren’t afraid to talk up when one thing’s incorrect, not one the place whistleblowers are threatened.
‘We now have to know who knew what and when, and whether or not Keir Starmer thinks his minister’s conduct is suitable.’
Lord Hendy is the 71-year-old grandson of the sixth Baron Wynford of Wynford Eagle whose hereditary title stretches again to the reign of George IV.
His mom Mary Finest was an aristocratic debutante till she married Hendy’s father Jack who was a communist electrician.
Lord Hendy was educated at Latymer Higher Faculty and the College of Leeds the place he graduated in Economics and Geography in 1975.
In 2013, escort Rachel Grundy claimed that she had a nine-month affair with Lord Hendy as he supervised London’s journey community for the 2012 Olympic Video games.
Ms Grundy alleged Lord Hendy gifted her Oyster Playing cards with £10 of credit score on every, in addition to a London 2012 badge as tokens of his affection.
The Telegraph reported on the time, Lord Hendy didn’t touch upon his personal life after which Mayor of London Boris Johnson stated there was no proof of ‘impropriety’.
Lord Hendy was honoured with a CBE within the 2006 New Years Honours listing for his providers to Public Transport and to the group in London.
In October 2022, as a part of the Particular Honours, Lord Hendy acquired a life peerage.
