For months Tory MP Bim Afolami has been a vocal critic of Govia Thameslink which (nominally) provides rail services to his commuter-heavy constituency of Hitchin and Harpenden. Exasperated on June 4^th he wrote to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling “demanding answers”. Three weeks ago on August 29^th he wrote to Grayling again, demanding a rail fare freeze “until Govia Thameslink and Great Northern services are up to scratch.” In short he was becoming a pain in the arse being an active constituency MP looking out for his voters.

Two days after his last epistle to the Transport Secretary, it was announced that he had been appointed new PPS to… Chris Grayling. He hasn’t mentioned the rail companies since, and so far hasn’t brought it up publicly with his patron again. Will Bim keep the pressure up or go soft on the rail companies to spare his new boss’s blushes?