By Jack Doyle, Associate Editor For The Daily Mail and Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter For Mailonline
Published: 16:08 BST, 22 April 2019 | Updated: 16:08 BST, 22 April 2019
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Transport secretary Chris Grayling, pictured, has faced a string of scandals and wanted to hold back an announcement on a new rail delay last year, emails have revealed
Under-pressure Transport Secretary Chris Grayling ordered officials to hold off on announcing delays to a major rail project so he could avoid criticism from MPs, it was revealed today.
Leaked emails suggest Mr Grayling wanted the announcement to be delayed by 24 hours to dodge a grilling from Labour MPs in the Commons.
In January last year Network Rail bosses informed him that a multi-million pound electrification scheme in the North West of England would not be completed on time.
An email from an unnamed senior official at the Department for Transport said Mr Grayling 'would prefer the announcement were sooner rather than later but not before the Opposition Day debate on Rail tomorrow.'
They suggested the announcement was 'best choreographed' for Thursday, January 11 - and the news was broken that day.
The Transport Secretary has faced a string of scandals in the past year where critics accused him of 'gross incompetence'.
He faced calls to resign in February after handing a £13.8million contract to a ferry company with no ships in the event of a No Deal Brexit.
In December he was accused of failing to 'get a grip' on the drone crisis that shut down Gatwick Airport for three days as tens of thousands of passengers tried to get away for Christmas.
And he kept his job despite criticism of his handling of the Thameslink and Northern Rail timetable crisis last year, which saw 770 trains a day cancelled, earning him the nickname 'failing Grayling' because of the chaos.
This email leaked to the Yorkshire Post says the SoS - a reference to Mr Grayling - said the announcement should be made soon - 'but not before' a debate in Parliament where he would be grilled by MPs
Labour's transport spokesman Andy McDonald accused Mr Grayling of 'contempt for the House of Commons' after the emails were uncovered by the Yorkshire Post.
The emails, which were released under the Freedom of Information Act, show a discussion between senior rail officials on Tuesday, January 9 last year about delays to upgrading the line between Preston and Manchester.
In one, Martin Frobisher, Network Rail's Route Managing Director in the North West, said he had spoken to Department for Transport officials and described how Mr Grayling wanted the announcement handled.
Banning books for prisoners
The controversial ban on parcels of books being sent to prisoners was condemned as 'unenlightened' when then Justice Secretary Chris Grayling introduced it in 2013.
He claimed parcels being sent into prisons had been a vehicle for 'contraband' and there were not enough staff to check them all properly.
Mr Grayling insisted prisoners could access books from jail libraries and could purchase more using money earned by working inside.
He was removed as Justice Secretary when the all-Tory government was formed in May this year, with Michael Gove – a former
