Were cuts responsible for the West Coast mainline cock up?

As ministers try and worm out of responsibility for the West Coast franchise cock up today, it’s worth noting that, as the Independent reported this morning:

“More than 30 senior civil servants in the Department for Transport, including some with direct responsibility for franchising, were axed in the run-up to the West Coast Main Line fiasco.”

Along with cuts to tax collecters, this must surely go down as one of the more self defeating cuts that this incompetent “shower” of a government have implemented.

This West Coast mess has cost the government £100 million…