Looking back over the debates in the House of Commons that took last week it seems as though at least two MPs in Sussex who only two weeks earlier had voted to support Chris Grayling and allow GTR to retain their franchise have changed their minds and in the case of at least one person, finally concluded that the Government should do the thing they have often called for, but chose not to vote for or even to speak about during the debate on 19th June. On 3rd July Maria Caulfield and Nick Herbert stated in relation to the GTR franchise:

MC: I get no sense of urgency from the Minister about the devastating impact this is having on my constituents. The timetable changes will see a reduction in services for passengers in Plumpton, Lewes, Seaford, Berwick, Polegate and Wivelsfield, and since the disaster of the timetable roll-out, we are constantly seeing short-formed trains—which are severely overcrowded, station-skipping in rural areas, where there is no other form of public transport, leaving vulnerable passengers, young people and people with a disability stranded—and late-night cancellations. It took three hours to travel 50 miles home last night, and three out of the first seven trains were cancelled this morning. This is unacceptable. The franchise must go.

NH: We are now into week seven of this Thameslink timetable shambles, and there is no sign of the service getting better. Never mind electrification—frankly, trains were more reliable 100 years ago in the age of steam. Will the Minister confirm that the compensation package that he is to announce will be generous and that specifically, it will be funded by GTR, because its shareholders, not the taxpayer, should bear the pain for this appalling performance?

The big question is why did Nick and Maria not feel the franchise must go when they  voted to retain it on 19th June and how frequently do they change their minds on such a matter?