Caroline Lucas is today preparing for a second reading of her Railways Bill in Parliament.
The Brighton Pavilion MP launched her private members bill last year, with the aim of renationalising the railway network.
This morning, she and supporters posed for this picture at Brighton Station
Great reception at #Brighton station this morning for bringing rail into public hands -Railways Bill in P’ment today. pic.twitter.com/KO0WhDTGMJ
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) February 27, 2015
I would have rather more confidence in this Bill if, every single time I point out that Northern Ireland’s railways (and busses) have been in public ownership since 1948, and yet are some of the worst in the country (with over 80% of lines closed in that time, and now busses withdrawn from some towns too), she didn’t just completely ignore the point.
It does seem that green party members seem to be strong on ideology, but weak on facts and the ability to learn from others.
So they want to switch back to the socialistic union controlled mess of the 70s?
And one of their official sycophanic supporters actually thinks (and won’t back down) that Portslade is not part of the city!
What an incompetent party!
You use the term socialism as if it’s somehow a bad thing? Does everything have to be profitable or it’s worthless? Have you so bought into thatchers Britain?
The railways should be a public service run for the benefit of the public. Profits made should be plowed back into the system, not taken out by share holders.
The point is, Miles, that nationalisation for the last 68 years in Northern Ireland has not delivered “benefit for the public” – it has mostly achieved line closures – not just under Thatcher but everyone from Atlee, Wilson, Callaghan, Blair…
There are 6 counties in Northern Ireland and when they were nationalised, they all had rail services. Now on 3 counties have a track running through them…
Perhaps Natalie Bennett could put forward a coherent explanation of how they will raise (or steal, or imagine out of nowhere…) the money required to carry out such a nationalisation, and then continue to invest in the industry.
Maybe they could use the profits the private owners take out of the industry and use that to improve things? It should be a public service not a profit making system.