Enda Brady: UK correspondent on the impact of the London Tube strikes

London Underground services are set to face significant disruptions, as the first of two 24-hour strikes by some Tube drivers begins.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, which represents roughly half the drivers on the network, are striking over a voluntary proposal to allow train operators to move to a compressed four-day week.

UK correspondent Enda Brady explained how this action will impact commuters this week. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In the Brady UK correspondent with us elo.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Inda, Hey, Heather, great to speak to you again.

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Right, he is halfway through the bed times the Prish appoints.
How's he gone so far?

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Look he's he's hanging on. He's like a boxer who's
just been taking punches for eleven rounds, but today is
round twelve. Because Oli Robbins, Sorry, sir Oli Robbins, this
civil servant from the Foreign Office, who Starmer says didn't
tell him that Peter Mandlsson had failed a vetting process
to be Britain's ambassador to America. Well, this Oli Robins

(00:31):
will speak today to basically a panel of politicians and
give his version of events. It's like a parliamentary hearing
type thing. And I think he's going to hang Starmer
out to dry. He's gonna tell he's gonna say that. Ultimately,
Starmer bulldogs the decision through because come Heller high water,
he wanted Mandleson and then jumping in overnight, President Trump says,

(00:55):
and this is extremely unhelpful for Starmer, Trump saying that
Mandalson was a terrible pick to be ambassador to America.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
Now, what makes us think that he will actually spill
the tea here rather than doing the right thing that
public servants always do in protecting their bosses.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Because he's been sacked, he's angry, he feels he's done
nothing wrong. It's all over the front pages. I mean,
someone close to him has briefed every word of what
he's going to say today. It's all over the newspapers.
And if he delivers as he's saying, it's basically his
word against the Prime minister. But look, the one point
I would make, Heather is we're paying almost four dollars
a liter for diesel here, Inflation is going through the

(01:33):
roof unemployment, cost of living. You know, it's very much
a Westminster bubbled story about who knew? What about the
vetting processes which seem to be extraordinary in tricket? How
does this impact the average British family and working and
striving and trying to make ends meet? Doesn't They don't care?

Speaker 1 (01:53):
Are they not even tuning in for it?

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Not at all? Not in the slightest. It's all get
what's that from political journals and they're like, oh, this
is a popcorn emojis. Yeah, most people aren't buying popcorn
at the supermarkets anymore.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
Funly fait point that you say they make the d Listen,
how about are these tube strikes going to be?

Speaker 2 (02:11):
So they start in three hours and ten minutes, so
as of midday here there will be no tube network
ring whatsoever. And that's today and Thursday and again two
days next week. And these are tube drivers earning north
of one hundred and twenty thousand en Z dollars. And
if I was Prime minister, I would bring in a

(02:32):
bill where anyone working on critical infrastructure that is trying
to get some growth into this economy and drive the
UK forward cannot go on strike. This is happening every
few months. And if I sound angry, it's because I've
got into work and I don't know how I'm getting
home and this is happening all the time. Tube this morning,
by the way, half empty. There was me and about

(02:52):
six Ukrainian lads heading off to a building site. That
was it. Jason, It's not very good, is it?

Speaker 1 (02:57):
You've been chetting to the Ukrainian fore minister by the way.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yes, to have so. Just come back from Antalia Diplomacy
Forum in Turkey. One hour I had live with Andre
Sbiha is his name? Ukraine Foreign Secretary. Fascinating interview. So
he's told me that last month the Ukrainians month on
month have now killed thirty thousand Russian soldiers by drone strike.

(03:25):
They're putting the drones up, he said, they're just picking
them off. And the phrase he used three times in
the interview, we hold the line. That was what he
said three times, and he said Russia cannot win. We
are not losing. We hold the line. And one other
little piece of information from the battlefield directly from the
Foreign Secretary of Ukraine, Andre Sibia told me they now

(03:46):
have more than three hundred foreigners in their jails in
Ukraine who they've caught in Russian uniform on the battlefields.
They've even arrested guys from Kenya who were fighting from Russia.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
Wow, that's strange, and I suppose they is been happening.
Actually we are aware of it. And Inda, thanks very much.
Look after yourself into Brady UK correspondent eight Away from seven.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
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