Andy Burnham pledges to renationalise railway network

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Labour leadership contender Andy Burnham has promised to renationalise Britain's railways "line by line" if he becomes prime minister.

The shadow health secretary pledged to bring an "end to fragmentation and privatisation".

Left-wing candidate Jeremy Corbyn has already committed himself to returning the railways to public ownership.

Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall are the other candidates hoping to replace Ed Miliband on 12 September.

British Rail was privatised under John Major's Conservative government.

Going into the general election Labour promised to review the current franchising system, under which the different rail routes are allocated on a competitive tender basis, and to allow public sector organisations to bid.

A YouGov survey in May 2014 suggested that the public supported renationalisation by a margin of 60% - 20%.

'New approach'

Mr Burnham recently called for "more public control and ownership of the railways".

His campaign manifesto will set out more detail, committing Labour to "a policy of progressive re-nationalisation of our railways". There would also be increased regulation of the bus network.

"We need a new approach to our railways, one that puts passengers before profit. That's why I will work to bring the railways back under public control and public ownership," he will say in his manifesto.

[Timmer]

Someone from the Labour Party reheating that old chestnut again. Dream on...it isn't going to happen.

[TaplowGreen]

He's only saying it because of Corbyn's likely success.

[Tim]

IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion), this illustrates perfectly how the central ground in politics has shifted to the right.

Corbyn is being held up as some kind of dangerous radical for supporting policies like national ownership of the railway.  But objectively it is hardly a hard-left position.  It is supported by something like 60% of the population, it is the position in many other countries (including the USA - hardly a Marxist country)and, we should not forget, we had a publically owned railway throughout the entire reign of Thatcher.

[ChrisB]

I agree - it has.

It'll be interesting to see if those 60% will ever vote for it if it becomes policy at the next election.

[TaplowGreen]

IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion), this illustrates perfectly how the central ground in politics has shifted to the right.

Corbyn is being held up as some kind of dangerous radical for supporting policies like national ownership of the railway.  But objectively it is hardly a hard-left position.  It is supported by something like 60% of the population, it is the position in many other countries (including the USA - hardly a Marxist country)and, we should not forget, we had a publically owned railway throughout the entire reign of Thatcher.

The only danger represented by Corbyn is to the electoral prospects of the Labour Party....he has/has had some idiotic views on certain Middle Eastern terrorist groups and the idea of printing money to address infrastructure issues is......well.....interesting but I agree that suggesting renationalising the railways does not bring the strains of the Internationale to mind......it'll never happen though, under whichever party is in power.  

[ChrisB]

....the idea of printing money to address infrastructure issues is......well.....interesting

And that maybe why they won't....

[TaplowGreen]

....the idea of printing money to address infrastructure issues is......well.....interesting

And that maybe why they won't....

.......won't elect Corbyn, print money, or renationalise the railways? Or all three? 

[ChrisB]

It'll be interesting to see if those 60% will ever vote for it if it becomes policy at the next election.