Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says privatisation on the table for Swansea’s DVLA after ‘unnecessary strikes’

27 Apr 2022 2 minute read
Grant Shapps picture by Gareth Fuller / PA Wire. DVLA Swansea image by Sarah Morgan Jones.

The Government will do “whatever it takes” including possible privatisation to improve the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.

The threat of privatisation after what he called “unnecessary strikes” at the DVLA comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson threatened to “privatise the arse off” the DVLA and other public bodies unless they start delivering better services

The DVLA is one of the largest employers in Wales, with over 5,000 staff in Swansea. Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents workers at the DVLA’s offices in Swansea conducted a series of strikes as part of a campaign for more coronavirus safety measures.

‘No stone’

Grant Shapps made the comment amid huge delays in processing driving licence applications. The Cabinet minister told the Commons’ Transport Select Committee he and Prime Minister will “look at everything”.

He said: “We’ll look at whether we can bring in private services to assist. I’ll look at the different motoring organisations.

“We have DVLA and DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency). It’s very confusing for most people.

“One does the licensing, the other one does the testing. People ask why there are two organisations.

“I’ll look at all of these things. No stone will be left unturned.”

One Whitehall source told the Telegraph newspaper over the weekend that there had been a “total failure” by the DVLA “to provide the public service it is meant to”.

Speaking today, Grant Shapps said the backlog of driving licence applications has been cut from a peak of 1.2 million to 400,000 due to a series of measures.

He added that the delays “wouldn’t be there at all if it hadn’t been for an entirely unnecessary strike at DVLA”.


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
13 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Arwyn
Arwyn
2 years ago

Interesting that the Tories are prepared to cut civil service jobs in Wales. Mike Hedges is particularly fond of using the figures to support the case for the Union. If the Tories change that particular landscape then there’ll be one less strut supporting the UK. I’ll give the Tories this … they’ve proven to be the most fantastic accidental allies to the Welsh Independence movement!

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

Didn’t the UK Government leave the DVLA Swansea in Covid hell for months a while back?

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

People died, the workers got upset, the government refused to listen, they went on strike, the Tories brought in scabs.

The Swansea office of the DVLA has experienced the largest number of Covid infections linked to a single employer or workplace in the UK. 

July 2021

Llinos
Llinos
2 years ago

Clueless bullies these Unionist Tories

The Original Mark
The Original Mark
2 years ago

So this is how the party of the working people treat the working people, wake up people stop voting for these criminals, is he using his real name now?

Dai Rob
Dai Rob
2 years ago

Levelling Up Innit.

Ana Sidorka
2 years ago

Thank you for such helpful information! It is definitely worth bookmarking.

Phil
Phil
2 years ago

If the Tories had made it a safe place to work during the pandemic then there’d be no backlog!
If the Tories hadn’t closed down local offices all over the country then there’d have been less pressure on the system.
If they’d not shut down local passport offices country wide there’d be no backlog of applications.
This government couldn’t run a whelk stall!
Never mind. They’ll get one of their buddies’ companies to run it and pay them a fortune to make an even bigger mess of it!

Mick Tems
Mick Tems
2 years ago

Uncaring, arrogant Tory bastards.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

Grant Shapps forgets strikes are usually called because of unacceptable working conditions and is not made lightly. But to use threats & intimidation of privatisation, especially Boris Johnson using such language as ” privatise the arse off the DVLA.” is an inflammatory statement that I hope will debated on the doorsteps and networked around social media to the voters in Swansea to encourage them who not to vote for in the upcoming council elections But I ask this question. Both Grant Shapps & Boris Johnson use idle threats and the fear of privatisation to intimidate the workforce & Unions .… Read more »

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago

Shapps is a serial duffer. If the top management at DVLA is anything like him then it is they who need to be chopped out and replaced with real talented management.

I.Humphrys
I.Humphrys
2 years ago

The faces on these people! Roll on the last judgement.

Dewi Davies
Dewi Davies
2 years ago

What’s next for the chop??The Royal Mint in Llantrisant??Any excuse to move the jobs to England like they have in the past.

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.