Labour peer accused the government of the 鈥渄estruction鈥� of the country in its pursuit of Brexit 

Lord Adonis

Lord Adonis

Infrastructure tsar Lord Adonis has hit out at the government鈥檚 handling of Brexit after resigning from his position as chair of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC). 

The Labour peer, who had chaired the commission since April last year having led the body as interim chair since its launch in October 2015, revealed that Brexit was causing a 鈥渘ervous breakdown across Whitehall and conduct unworthy of Her Majesty鈥檚 Government鈥� which he said was being likened to the Suez Crisis in the 1950s. 

In a letter written to prime minister Theresa May published on the BBC, Adonis said: 鈥淭he European Union Withdrawal Bill is the worst legislation of my lifetime. It arrives soon in the House of Lords and I feel duty bound to oppose it relentlessly from the Labour benches.

鈥淎 responsible government would be leading the British people to stay in Europe while also tackling, with massive vigour, the social and economic problems within Britain which contributed to the Brexit vote.鈥�

Adonis, who was transport secretary under Gordon Brown between 2009 and 2010, also attacked current transport secretary Chris Grayling鈥檚 decision to 鈥渂ail-out鈥� the Stagecoach/Virgin East Coast rail franchise, adding that he planned to share with any investigation into the handling of the issue 鈥渢roubling evidence鈥�.

He added he was resigning as 鈥渕y work at the Commission has become increasingly clouded by disagreement with the government [鈥 fundamental differences which simply cannot be bridged鈥�.

The NIC, which was officially launched as an executive agency of the Treasury in January last year, is charged with impartially setting the UK鈥檚 long term infrastructure objectives.

In October, the body highlighted seven areas of infrastructure activity which it believed the government has failed to deliver, as part of the first National Infrastructure Assessment. It said current plans and policy frameworks 鈥渇all well short of what will be required if the UK is to have the infrastructure it needs to support its long-term prosperity and quality of life鈥�.

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