I believe what we have discovered is incompetence is everywhere, in all forms. The difference is not whether they are privatised or not, it is how the owners behaved or were allowed to behave. Incompetence in regulators compounds incompetence in management. As for leveraging assets for debt... that is a clear issue.
Thanks for that Robert, I agree with most of it and I'm happy that the 'rant' level was dialed up a bit higher than the 'balance' one - the subject deserves it.
I worked for the railway before the Tories ripped it apart in pursuit of profit. There was quite a lot which needed improvement, but nothing that couldn't have been achieved under more enlightened central control.
One thing that changed pretty quickly was the Harwich boat train which ran from Liverpool - I used to catch it fairly regularly and always looked for the pre-war 'Gresley' buffet car. The pork pies were actually quite nice (it was before I went veggie), and the steward would make you a mug of instant coffee using Nescafe Gold Blend (the height of 70s sophistication) from the jar he kept on the shelf behind the counter.
As per the article, there are pros and cons. I also can't say the rail network will be any worse under nationalisation again. I'm 50 so I've grown up during privatisation, and too remember a certain Mr Savile advertising it ("This is the age of the train" etc).
It takes the right sort of management and people to make changes for the public good, but as I type that I know that in privatisation, the isn't ever the focus when it's the shareholders that must be pandered to, not the public.
But I do feel that despite the lack of innovation, utilities like water and electricity should be nationalised, because they are a mandatory requirement for everybody. If they are managed properly both financially and structurally through Government and the civil service then any inefficiencies can also be managed centrally.
I don't believe raising money via privatisation gets anywhere when every shareholder who invests expects a return on their investment. And the very fact that electricity is generated by a national network, and water is dealt with by the same regional resources has any place in private hands.
I know there's no simple answer, but the UK seems to be eroding before my eyes. I don't know what the reasons are, increased population, corruption, lack of investment? We're supposed to be the fifth wealthiest nation in the world, but that wealth must be invested elsewhere than here, I guess that means per capita.
And currently, aren't tax levels at an all-time high? VAT is still 20%, I remember when it was 15% as a teenager. And the country is still very much in debt, several trillion since it all went tits up in 2008 and we've not recovered from that yet as money is continually squandered by successive Governments.
Kind of agree Robert, except on electricity. It’s fine whilst we have eco/socialist (ish) minded Uk citizens owning it, however, at some point it’s likely megalopolises will take control, some greedy offshore assholes that will strip it bare, hence it should be publicly owned.
I believe what we have discovered is incompetence is everywhere, in all forms. The difference is not whether they are privatised or not, it is how the owners behaved or were allowed to behave. Incompetence in regulators compounds incompetence in management. As for leveraging assets for debt... that is a clear issue.
Thanks for that Robert, I agree with most of it and I'm happy that the 'rant' level was dialed up a bit higher than the 'balance' one - the subject deserves it.
I worked for the railway before the Tories ripped it apart in pursuit of profit. There was quite a lot which needed improvement, but nothing that couldn't have been achieved under more enlightened central control.
One thing that changed pretty quickly was the Harwich boat train which ran from Liverpool - I used to catch it fairly regularly and always looked for the pre-war 'Gresley' buffet car. The pork pies were actually quite nice (it was before I went veggie), and the steward would make you a mug of instant coffee using Nescafe Gold Blend (the height of 70s sophistication) from the jar he kept on the shelf behind the counter.
As per the article, there are pros and cons. I also can't say the rail network will be any worse under nationalisation again. I'm 50 so I've grown up during privatisation, and too remember a certain Mr Savile advertising it ("This is the age of the train" etc).
It takes the right sort of management and people to make changes for the public good, but as I type that I know that in privatisation, the isn't ever the focus when it's the shareholders that must be pandered to, not the public.
But I do feel that despite the lack of innovation, utilities like water and electricity should be nationalised, because they are a mandatory requirement for everybody. If they are managed properly both financially and structurally through Government and the civil service then any inefficiencies can also be managed centrally.
I don't believe raising money via privatisation gets anywhere when every shareholder who invests expects a return on their investment. And the very fact that electricity is generated by a national network, and water is dealt with by the same regional resources has any place in private hands.
I know there's no simple answer, but the UK seems to be eroding before my eyes. I don't know what the reasons are, increased population, corruption, lack of investment? We're supposed to be the fifth wealthiest nation in the world, but that wealth must be invested elsewhere than here, I guess that means per capita.
And currently, aren't tax levels at an all-time high? VAT is still 20%, I remember when it was 15% as a teenager. And the country is still very much in debt, several trillion since it all went tits up in 2008 and we've not recovered from that yet as money is continually squandered by successive Governments.
Kind of agree Robert, except on electricity. It’s fine whilst we have eco/socialist (ish) minded Uk citizens owning it, however, at some point it’s likely megalopolises will take control, some greedy offshore assholes that will strip it bare, hence it should be publicly owned.