Lewes MP Norman Baker has taken on Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the House of Commons over the rising cost of train fares.
The Lib Dem MP, also his party's Shadow Transport Secretary, quizzed the PM over the fact that Labour have allowed the cost of motoring to decrease while the price of most rail fares have skyrocketed. Mr Baker called upon the Prime Minister to end Labour's policy under which most fares rise by 1% above inflation every year.
On the floor of the Commons, Mr Baker challenged the Prime Minister:
"It is unfair on rail passengers and contrary to the Government's carbon reduction strategy that, since 1997, the cost of motoring has decreased by 14 per cent while the cost of rail fares has gone up in real terms by 13 per cent.
"Given that a large reason for this is the Government's policy of forcing up rail fares by 1 per cent above inflation every single year, will the Prime Minister now give the House and the country an assurance that, if a Labour Government are re-elected, they will end their RPI plus 1 policy and their train fare escalator?"
The Prime Minister entirely ducked the question about rail fares, stating only:
"I believe that passengers welcome the fact not only that we have better services but that trains arrive on time. It is important to recognise the huge investment that this Government have made in the railways of this country."
Norman Baker later commented:
"It is high time the government re-evaluated this unfair policy. My constituents are fed up with seeing rail fares go up above inflation year after year.
"We need to encourage people to use the railways, especially as the transport sector is the only one where carbon emissions are increasing, but rip-off fares will not give people a reason to travel by rail.
"It is clear that Labour is not willing to recognise that there is a problem, but the Lib Dems are committed to a fairer deal for the passenger."
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