10th Anniversary of Rail Privatisation
Labour MPs call on Government to implement Party policy on Rail
To mark the 10th anniversary of rail privatisation in the UK on 4th February 2006, 11 Labour MPs have tabled an EDM to urge the Government to implement Labour Party policy and bring the railways back under public control.
Since privatisation around £10bn of public subsidy has been given to the train operating companies, around £1bn of which has been taken out of the industry in dividends paid to parent companies. Independent research has shown that renationalising the railways would save at least £500m per year.
Since 1996, rail fares have increased above inflation and punctuality is worse than under British Rail. In 2004, Labour Party conference voted to overturn this madness, and bring the railways back under public control.
John McDonnell MP, Chair of the Labour Representation Committee, said:
“Ten years on the Labour Party, trade union movement, and the travelling public, have reached the common conclusion that rail should be brought back into public ownership. The only people out of step with the rest of country are the Government. We need action to bring rail back under democratic control.
Passengers and rail workers have literally paid with their lives for passing the railways over to a multiplicity of private contractors and profiteers.”
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EDM 1561: Tenth Anniversary of Rail Privatisation
- John McDonnell
- Michael Meacher
- Kelvin Hopkins
- Michael Clapham
- Gwyn Prosser
- David Drew
That this House notes 4th February marks the 10th anniversary of private rail passenger franchises coming onto the railways under the disastrous Tory privatisation; is concerned that since that time rail fares have increased in real terms and punctuality remains worse than under public ownership; further notes the Catalyst think tank report showing that the private sector has drained over £6 billion from the public sector since privatisation; welcomes the conclusion of the Catalyst report that renationalising the rail network would save £500 million a year; and therefore urges the Government to take early steps to implement Labour Party policy of an integrated, accountable and publicly owned railway
Other signatory MPs are: Katy Clark, Jeremy Corbyn, Ian Gibson, Linda Riordan, Bob Wareing.
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