They've always been shite, and they've always lost money, doesn't matter who runs them.
British Rail was the butt of many a joke due to it being an absolute joke.
General Election 2017 | Cabinet reshuffle: Hunt re-appointed Health Secretary for record third time
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They've always been shite, and they've always lost money, doesn't matter who runs them.
British Rail was the butt of many a joke due to it being an absolute joke.
Train Operating Company franchises make a profit because they don't pay the full costs of the system, which is subsidised by about £4 billion a year.
http://www.orr.gov.uk/__data/assets...il-industry-financial-information-2015-16.pdf
This set up was necessary on privatisation to create saleable assets, which raised £6 billion for the treasury at the time, this being the real reason for privatisation. Subsequently having to be paid back many many times over, meaning rail privatisation was in fact primarily a dishonest way of borrowing money.
The fees are obviously a joke, but worker unions should just create an independant legal representation insurance that also covers tribunal fees. If they can get a significant amount of people to sign up the fees would be affordable. To make it even cheaper the govt. could introduce an individual mandate to completely erase adverse selection.
So they are not nationalising but increasing competition in a market with no yield?
It won't be pricey at all if they are running on a deficit though. Don't know if that's the case though.
Although a number of 'private rail companies' here are actually part owned or in some cases, fully owned by foreign Governments... and yet they receive large sums from our Government in subsidies to help them make profits. At the moment, our taxes are effectively subsidising public transport in other countries.
Does the UK govt. have a duty to provide basic supply in mail/energy to everybody? Like mail being delivered to every village/a certain internet speed everywhere.
Mail yes, internet no.
On hearing about #Grime4Corbyn, the Tories hurry to get Barry Scott's endorsement.
Rail strikes from three unions a week before the election. Potential boost for May, not that she needs it.
For someone who is so shite that anyone is better, they sure to struggle to know someone.What a missed opportunity.
Or could show to the public that the rail system needs to be change.
Newest member apparently
Brilliant!
You laugh but he will get a lot of young voters.
All he needs now is the Stormzy fan club to get in on it too.
There is an abundance of electable candidates, they just can't be allowed to run against anyone. Especially the bloke they're all better than.
I see Nick Robinson has been at it again today. He just can't help himself can he?
Have you met commuters on a strike day?!
If we doubt that government has too much time on its hands:
Manifesto:
Manifesto:
Both seem like solid policies, don't you agree?
Guardian did an excellent article on the horrifying impact of FOBTs a couple of years ago (warming, very long read):
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/31/big-gamble-dangerous-british-betting-shops
That's excellent news, they bring misery to thousands.
I regret to inform you that you're now a trot. Or something
What?
Reading responses across the board to Labour's manifesto launch, I'm afraid to say I agree most with The Economist's analysis;
http://www.economist.com/blogs/buttonwood/2017/05/labour-s-economic-programme
http://www.economist.com/blogs/buttonwood/2017/05/labour-s-economic-programme
Certainly the best headline.
Yeah, that's great.The problem with that attitude is that if you accept that the only way is down, it is a race to the bottom that will destroy not just the working class, but the middle class too, while big business works its low tax magic and exports profits to wherever is convenient.
Travel to the BVIs, Singapore, Bermuda or any other tax haven to get an idea. A central point of immense wealth, people living in hovels everywhere else.
Corbyns manifesto is important precisely because it challenges this accepted idea that the only way is down for the majority. You think any multinational will walk away from the UK over a graduated 5% tax rise (to a level they were happily paying 7 years ago no less)? Where to? Anywhere else with comparable infrastructure already has higher taxes than those corbyn is proposing.
I think Brexit is gonna throw a spanner in the works of any of the parties plans really, none of them realise just how badly we're going to get shafted from the off. We may very well recover in the future but the immediate fallout once we're out is going to seriously screw our economy up.
Anyway, it almost, almost feels like there might be a swell of first time millennial voters in this election. I'm not sure why, can't cite any sources of evidence to suggest it but still, if there is then maybe Labour have a chance. Some posh kids may vote for the Tories but the vast majority I would suspect will vote for Corbyn (and by proxy, Labour). Could it cancel out the over-65 votes? I've made sure I'm registered this time round and am actually going to vote even if it still doesn't feel like it's remotely worth it.
Anyway, it almost, almost feels like there might be a swell of first time millennial voters in this election. I'm not sure why, can't cite any sources of evidence to suggest it but still, if there is then maybe Labour have a chance. Some posh kids may vote for the Tories but the vast majority I would suspect will vote for Corbyn (and by proxy, Labour). Could it cancel out the over-65 votes? I've made sure I'm registered this time round and am actually going to vote even if it still doesn't feel like it's remotely worth it.
Should've said McGonagall.
The problem with that argument is that yes, I do think some companies will move on to other countries if such a manifesto was enacted, particularly in the finance sector where there are several options (Asia, New York, Dublin rather than Paris and Frankfurt). And particularly when we're decimating our main trading relationship at exactly the same time, the combination could be fatal.
I never want to advocate a race to the bottom, and I wish these arguments were better made in the media so it wasn't up to you or I to try to work out where our country would be best placed on the Latter Curve. That article could be wrong and McDonnell could be right - I don't know, but I don't think it seems sensible to take that risk at this time.
If they were making the argument that single market access is worth X a year, the Brexit fee is worth Y, and the Tories are going to lose us X+Y from hard Brexit I'd prefer that. For the 50th time I don't understand why that isn't considered the obvious counter to attacks on Labour's economic credibility
She would definitely have been in Slytherin.
Yeah but who volunteers themselves as Umbridge? Well, I suppose she might.
While the manifesto isn't entirely friendly from an accessibility standpoint, i've been doing some searches and coming up empty in some interesting policy areas. Solar is one such. Contrastingly, it would seem that events like Copeland have prompted a more pragmatic approach to civilian nuclear, which is welcome.
A government deciding on the number of seconds between spins? Has it really reached that point?
The betting shops near here always seem empty; no idea how they manage to justify their existence.
A government deciding on the number of seconds between spins? Has it really reached that point?
The betting shops near here always seem empty; no idea how they manage to justify their existence.
Don't forget that 15% tax on financial transactions in The City. A policy McDonnell admitted is 'a gamble'. The City is responsible for 12% IIRC of our GDP and is going to take a significant hit from Brexit.
Labour's manifesto is stupid frankly, entirely indicative of why people don't trust Labour with the economy.
Jeremy Hunt is professor Quirrell.
I'm still a big grime fan so I think this is great, winning over young voters is really the only to Labour can avoid a huge defeat and maybe a surprise victory.
I know
FOBTs
Be nice if the Greens overtook UKIP
Yup - small numbers of "high quality" customers, meaning addicts who lose thousands on the FOBTs each year. Lessening the amount customers can lose on those, or at least their addictive nature, is critical.
The BBC would have to book recently signed up Green Party members Nigel Fromage and Paul Nuttroast for Question Time.
Most interesting thing here is the Lib Dem figures: for all the talk of a revival they're not only failing to bridge the 10% gap like many expected them to, but aren't improving on their previous election result at all as things stand. Which is incredibly, incredibly poor for them when considering that Brexit has given them a massive opportunity...and Labour's own arguments on Brexit have been confusing at best.
33% is also funnily enough a decent number for Labour without considering the Tory vote if we compare it to 2015...it's just the problem is that UKIP voters are presumably floating back to the Tories, and Labour are failing to win over Tory voters themselves.
So be it
The rolling stock could be leased by the now public train operating companies, like the east coast mainline did. They could over time buy new stock and feck over the lease companies as they age.
I don't think the freight companies are part of the nationalisation, they could continue to run as now on the publicly owned network rail
To give a bit of balance, the Government already announced a review back in October, so Labour are reiterating what is already in process:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37750115