‘And how are you getting on with sorting the rail crisis?’: Grant Shapps is mocked online over latest Twitter video revealing finalists in new contest to be named Britain’s rail HQ to the backing of stirring music

• Minister announced cities in the running to become ‘Home of Britain’s Railways’
• The six named as Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle and York
• But many on social media suggested it was a distraction from ongoing rail crisis
• A three-day strike by members of RMT union ground Britain to a halt last month 

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was mocked on social media today after posting a Twitter video revealing the finalists in a new contest to be named Britain’s rail HQ.

Set to stirring music, the minister announced that six towns and cities – Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and York – were all in the running to become ‘Home of Britain’s Railways’.

It was the latest in a series of videos Mr Shapps has posted, though often they have been the subject of ridicule, with comparisons made to Steve Coogan’s legendary comedy character, Alan Partridge.

Today’s clip was also met with criticism, as followers questioned how it was helping solve the rail crisis, which came to a head last month when members of the RMT union ground the country to a halt during a three-day walkout.  

Set to stirring music, the minister announced that six towns and cities – Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and York – were all in the running to become ‘Home of Britain’s Railways

Mr Shapps urges social media users to ‘get voting for the city or town that you think has what it takes to win’

Mr Shapps says in the video: ‘Forty-two fantastic cities and towns from across the country came forward in our competition to find the new national headquarters of Great British Railways. 

‘Today, I can announce the shortlisted locations. These finalists are set to compete for the title of Home of Britain’s Railways. 

‘So, who are the lucky six candidates? Well done to Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle and York. 

‘Get voting for the city or town that you think has what it takes to win. Who will take the crown of GBR HQ? You can help decide.’

However, the timing of the video was not appreciated by many on social media.

One wrote: ‘And how are you getting on with sorting out the rail crisis?’

Another mocked him by tweeting: ‘Whilst @RMTunion have been parading around the media studios I’ve been busy making another video…’

A third added: ‘What a waste of time and money. Network Rail have invested heavily in a corporate HQ already. What are you going to do with that? More smoke and mirrors.’

Mr Shapps has also been mocked for similar videos in recent weeks, including a plug for electric cars in which he engages in a faux Wild West shootout scene with original Top Gear presenter Quentin Wilson. 

The bizarre clip starts by showing the Transport Secretary reversing into an electric car charging point in a Tesco carpark.

He then opens his boot to grab some plastic bags, making clear to viewers that he knows how to use a supermarket in the video  that comes in the wake of Rishi Sunak’s bungled publicity trip to fill up a car in Sainsbury’s. 

After safely stashing the bags into the pocket of his North Face jacket, Mr Shapps’s eye is drawn behind him before the screen turns sepia and ‘Western’ music plays. 

As the edges turn to black and the screen narrows, who should be in his line of sight but Mr Wilson. 

The pair lock eyes and Wilson even goes so far as to place a toothpick in his mouth as he stands with his arms crossed at a different charging point in the carpark. 

They both grab the charging plugs and, complete with finger twitches of which Clint Eastwood would be proud, draw them up and into the sockets of their cars. 

Then the video cuts to the pair sitting on a cafe bench on a dreary day drinking takeaway coffee. 

It is then revealed that this entire stunt has been orchestrated to illustrate the minister’s proud boast that: ‘The UK has got the fastest charging in the West.’ 

And just in case anyone was under any illusion that he was referring to the Wild West, he adds: ‘Well, the Western World that is.’ 

But the banter doesn’t stop there. In a scene reminiscent of the stilted petrol station of an Alan Partridge, Wilson adds: ‘And you are going to be building even more chargers aren’t you?’

Shapps responds: ‘Yeah that’s right, we’ve got £1.3billion to build out this charge network to make it easy to drive an electric vehicle.’ 

Wilson then adds: ‘And I’ve been driving EVs now everyday for over a decade. And they just are easier to live with, cheaper to own and maintain and so much better for air quality and the environment. 

‘And look, here we are, in a supermarket. You can go shopping and charge your electric car, how good is that?’ 

As the ‘old-timey’ credits flash onto the screen the viewer thinks the clip is over, but the duo save their best joke for last. 

In an attempt at an American accent, Shapps asks: ‘So what’s your poison?’

To which Wilson replies: ‘Bourbon, of course.’ 

Shapps then proudly produces a packet of chocolate bourbon biscuits and the video cuts out. 

The Transport Secretary was also filmed in an old-fashioned infomercial style video earlier this year in which he wore a khaki top, grey hoodie, sunglasses and held a crab as he promoted Edinburgh, Cornwall, the Lake District and London.

The clip also showed him wearing a North Face jacket and jeans as he boarded an LNER train at King’s Cross station, saying: ‘We’ve had two years of living life virtually. It is time to get real and visit our beautiful country.’

But the unusual video about the tickets sale came as critics said the ‘Great British Rail Sale’ – which has seen more than one million train tickets reduced in price – would not help commuters or families travelling for half-term holidays.

Only one per cent of all journeys taken are likely to be affected by the sale, with the Campaign for Better Transport saying that the initiative was only a ‘first step’ and called for an ‘end to massive annual fare rises’.

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