Grant Shapps: Train strikes are 'full responsibility of the unions'

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has been speaking in the House of Commons, ahead of this week's mass strike action by the railway unions.

Mr Shapps said that this week's rail strikes are "created by the unions, organised by the unions, is the full responsibility of the unions" and he went on to say that the government is doing it's "utmost to get the unions and the rail industry agree a way forward".

His comments came after Mick Lynch, the RMT general-secretary, laid the blame for the dispute at the Transport Secretary's door. Mr Lynch earlier said it has been "manufactured by Shapps and by government policy.''