Spectator N0 2680 : "Two Of A...
Crosswords2 mins ago
May Getting Severe Grief On Question Times, Especially From Nurses.
Beginning to look like another whoops from the Tory side...Picture might be different later.
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//Although I support rail nationalisation, I really don't see the point in doing it for utilities,//
just for interest Krom, is your support for rail nationalisation idealogical? Not sure it can be (as-yet) grounded in a belief that it will make anything better for the industry or its users – it’s completely uncosted and beyond a statement that franchises will not be renewed on expiry, there’s no detail whatsoever on how this policy will be enacted or managed. Turning passenger franchises into state run operations may well involve minimal outlay but is probably less than half the story. For these operations won’t own any trains; they’re all privately owned. Are labour planning to pay billions to bring them into public ownership, or are they planning to just sequestrate them? And what about rail freight? Freight services are not franchised but are commercial operations run by open access operators – what are labour’s plan for these?
On the line I use daily, the trains are about ten years old; they operate a service that didn’t exist before 2008 save for a very infrequent local service provided by single car units and buses. From that start up, today the trains are full and standing all day, every day, for much of their near 3 hour journey. The train company has no spare stock (indeed is running with a shortage due to collision damage) and there’s no rolling stock of any description available in the UK to augment the service. I fail to see how painting the trains red and labelling them “people’s railway” is going to make my daily armpit-sniffing journey any better – JC already has gazillions of uncosted election pledges to fulfil, and buying a few trains isn’t going to get any sort of priority.
just for interest Krom, is your support for rail nationalisation idealogical? Not sure it can be (as-yet) grounded in a belief that it will make anything better for the industry or its users – it’s completely uncosted and beyond a statement that franchises will not be renewed on expiry, there’s no detail whatsoever on how this policy will be enacted or managed. Turning passenger franchises into state run operations may well involve minimal outlay but is probably less than half the story. For these operations won’t own any trains; they’re all privately owned. Are labour planning to pay billions to bring them into public ownership, or are they planning to just sequestrate them? And what about rail freight? Freight services are not franchised but are commercial operations run by open access operators – what are labour’s plan for these?
On the line I use daily, the trains are about ten years old; they operate a service that didn’t exist before 2008 save for a very infrequent local service provided by single car units and buses. From that start up, today the trains are full and standing all day, every day, for much of their near 3 hour journey. The train company has no spare stock (indeed is running with a shortage due to collision damage) and there’s no rolling stock of any description available in the UK to augment the service. I fail to see how painting the trains red and labelling them “people’s railway” is going to make my daily armpit-sniffing journey any better – JC already has gazillions of uncosted election pledges to fulfil, and buying a few trains isn’t going to get any sort of priority.
Not at all. I just think the privatisation of British Rail was a bodged deal that has led to a remarkably bad structure. At the moment, the state controls all the track (and therefore all the costs associated with maintaining it), and simply grants all the profits from actually running services to a few large travel companies, not to mention some continental state owned enterprises like Deutsche Bahn or Abellio. As a result, our railways effectively subsidise those run on the continent. There might be some argument which makes all this look sensible, but it looks barmy to me. Privatisation works where you can establish a proper market - I can't see how competition works to the benefit of the consumer in the case of our railways.
I'd rather have our rails run by British SOEs along the lines of East Coast, which when it was briefly nationalised returned hundreds of millions to the UK exchequer.
I'd rather have our rails run by British SOEs along the lines of East Coast, which when it was briefly nationalised returned hundreds of millions to the UK exchequer.
Krom, //what's your opinion of the uncosted Conservative promises?//
The Conservatives ‘uncosted’ promises I can live with. They’re a drop in the ocean compared to Labour’s uncosted promises.
//I just think they're the only one of the two parties who are interested in solving what I see as the biggest problems with our public services//
You may see it like that but I don’t. Everything comes at a cost – and that cost will ultimately be to the ordinary working man – something that Labour consistently fails to comprehend. As for Corbyn’s policies not affecting businesses (and investment), the Institute for Fiscal Studies disagrees with you.
The Conservatives ‘uncosted’ promises I can live with. They’re a drop in the ocean compared to Labour’s uncosted promises.
//I just think they're the only one of the two parties who are interested in solving what I see as the biggest problems with our public services//
You may see it like that but I don’t. Everything comes at a cost – and that cost will ultimately be to the ordinary working man – something that Labour consistently fails to comprehend. As for Corbyn’s policies not affecting businesses (and investment), the Institute for Fiscal Studies disagrees with you.
// when it was briefly nationalised returned hundreds of millions to the UK exchequer. //
not sure where you heard that, but your messenger exaggerated. here's a sample copy of DOR's annual report for ECML (for 2013) - that year returned a profit of only £4.5m.
http://
not sure where you heard that, but your messenger exaggerated. here's a sample copy of DOR's annual report for ECML (for 2013) - that year returned a profit of only £4.5m.
http://
Well Anne considering even the people that chose the audience (or was it Farage) said they thought Labour voters probably got in pretending to be supporters for other parties and I think Momentum is such a group that would manipulate to get to where they can to support their dear leader.
So yes is the simple answer.
So yes is the simple answer.
https:/
Apparently over a billion over the course of six years.
I used that line a lot between 2008 and 2013 and can't say I noticed any problems. Then again the same was true when Virgin took over. Probably I don't use trains enough to have seen the problems that undoubtedly exist.
Apparently over a billion over the course of six years.
I used that line a lot between 2008 and 2013 and can't say I noticed any problems. Then again the same was true when Virgin took over. Probably I don't use trains enough to have seen the problems that undoubtedly exist.
I've said quite a few times on here for me the Jury was out on May.
I'm afraid it isn't now. I dont think she is up to the job - it's as simple as that.
The only problem is that I believe JC is far far worse, not only is he not up to the job but those around him are not either meaning labour Government would very quickly cripple the country.
So the only hope is for TM to win but not with a landslide, that way she will have to up her game or get out of the way.
BTW, I would like to see the Railways nationalised, not for ideological reasons but because Railways will always need subsidizing to keep pace so taking money out for 'profits' is not good. On the other hand though I would not want to see a return to British Railways and us all being held to ransom by unions and crap management.
I'm afraid it isn't now. I dont think she is up to the job - it's as simple as that.
The only problem is that I believe JC is far far worse, not only is he not up to the job but those around him are not either meaning labour Government would very quickly cripple the country.
So the only hope is for TM to win but not with a landslide, that way she will have to up her game or get out of the way.
BTW, I would like to see the Railways nationalised, not for ideological reasons but because Railways will always need subsidizing to keep pace so taking money out for 'profits' is not good. On the other hand though I would not want to see a return to British Railways and us all being held to ransom by unions and crap management.
We have people saying they’ll vote Labour because they’ve promised to re-nationalise the railways, or because they’re going to tax business in order to fund other things, or because they care more about global warming, but when you’re voting for a party you can’t simply pick from the manifesto the things you like – the whole lot comes as a package and that includes the things you don’t like too. For example, a vote for Labour is a vote against strictly controlled immigration, so any Labour voter opposed to more immigration will have to accept it will happen. I haven’t heard it myself but Jim tells me the Conservatives are planning to extend faith schools, something that I vehemently oppose. However, because, in general, I find the rest of what the Conservatives are saying pretty much acceptable, I have to accept that they will extend faith schools. None of us can have everything we want so it’s really a matter of examining the overall implications of living under each of the forms of government and going from there.
" I haven’t heard it myself but Jim tells me the Conservatives are planning to extend faith schools, something that I vehemently oppose."
The relevant passage in the manifesto is on page 50:
"We will replace unfair and ineffective inclusivity rules that prevent the establishment of new Roman Catholic schools, instead requiring faith schools to prove that parents of other faiths and none would be prepared to send their children to that school."
Interesting that it singles out Catholicism in particular, as opposed to, say, CofE.
"None of us can have everything we want so it’s really a matter of examining the overall implications of living under each of the forms of government and going from there."
I agree. I've apparently reached a different assessment of which is better -- or, more accurately, which is least awful.
The relevant passage in the manifesto is on page 50:
"We will replace unfair and ineffective inclusivity rules that prevent the establishment of new Roman Catholic schools, instead requiring faith schools to prove that parents of other faiths and none would be prepared to send their children to that school."
Interesting that it singles out Catholicism in particular, as opposed to, say, CofE.
"None of us can have everything we want so it’s really a matter of examining the overall implications of living under each of the forms of government and going from there."
I agree. I've apparently reached a different assessment of which is better -- or, more accurately, which is least awful.
-- answer removed --
//I used that line a lot between 2008 and 2013 and can't say I noticed any problems. Then again the same was true when Virgin took over. Probably I don't use trains enough to have seen the problems //
whilst universally mocked in the press, JC's sitting on the floor experience isn't far from the truth, and ecml trains have been like that since BR days.
whilst universally mocked in the press, JC's sitting on the floor experience isn't far from the truth, and ecml trains have been like that since BR days.
Krom, //We know.//
Perhaps you do but it seems to me there are many who haven’t thought too deeply about it. For example, one I know is strongly against immigration, but will vote Labour solely because the Conservatives have re-jigged plans for elderly care, albeit more favourably, but that seems to have been ignored or at least misunderstood.
Jim, thanks for that. Personally, I’m not choosing that which I think is the least awful. I don’t expect perfection. Life never is perfect.
Perhaps you do but it seems to me there are many who haven’t thought too deeply about it. For example, one I know is strongly against immigration, but will vote Labour solely because the Conservatives have re-jigged plans for elderly care, albeit more favourably, but that seems to have been ignored or at least misunderstood.
Jim, thanks for that. Personally, I’m not choosing that which I think is the least awful. I don’t expect perfection. Life never is perfect.
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