Keir Starmer to let mayors 'take back control' as Sadiq Khan seeks more power over commuter rail services
Sir Keir Starmer’s government vowed to let Britain’s mayors “take back control” as Sadiq Khan pushes for more power over London’s commuter rail services and a £2.2 billion boost to tackle the capital’s housing crisis.The London Mayor has been arguing that Transport for London should oversee services operated by Southeastern into Victoria, Charing Cross and Cannon Street stations, and the Great Northern services between Hertfordshire and Moorgate.Mr Khan has raised hopes that a Labour government, committed to “renationalising” the railways within the next five years, will be more willing to transfer control once Department for Transport contracts with the private rail firms expire.The Great Northern contract runs until next March but can be extended by the DfT to 2028, while the Southeastern contract is due to run until 2027.
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00:00We're five days into the new Labour government and Sadiq Khan has got
00:04himself an invitation to meet Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner behind me
00:09here at number 10. He's here as part of a delegation of Labour city mayors who've
00:15been invited to come to talk to the Prime Minister about greater devolution,
00:19possibly more power over rail services and also more power and possibly more
00:25money to build more houses. Could this mean more homes for London? Well the
00:29Labour government wants to build 1.5 million houses over its first term, many
00:34of those could be in the capital. Let's hear what Sadiq's got to say when the
00:38meeting ends.