Run our railways under public ownership before it's too late | letters (original) (raw)

We come from all walks of British life to say that the experiment to run the railways in private hands has failed. We at All on Board, which includes companies, environmentalists, council leaders, rail workers and experts, disability and social justice campaigners, know that the sensible thing is to run our railways under public ownership.

This is now very easy to do. As each private rail franchise expires, it can become ours. That way, all our investment, our taxes and fares stay in the railways and we get lower fares and a better service. Most investment in the railways already comes from taxpayers. More people will get off the roads and on to rail and we will have cleaner air. A fragmented system, which never benefited from competition because competition is impossible on a railway track, can become whole.

The policy comes at no additional costs to taxpayers. And it is not only green, but it's popular and it works. Polls regularly show more than 70% of us believe it's the best thing to do and every time a franchise fails and goes back, albeit temporarily, into public hands, performance improves.

This is about much more than money or efficiency. Trains and stations should be places that we all share.

Tasmin Omond, Lush; Jon Sauven, Greenpeace UK; Len McLuskey, Unite the Union; Paul Nowak, TUC; Rosie Rogers, Compass; and many others online

Christian Wolmar - rail expert

David Robinson - Change London

Frances Northrop - Transition Totnes

Prateek Butch - Social Liberal Forum

Jon Collins - Leader Nottingham City Council

Simon Letts - Leader Southampton City Council

Andrew Burns – Leader Edinburgh City Council

Prof Danny Dorling – Dept Geography, Oxford

Prof Paul Salveson - Dept of Transport, University of Huddersfield

Prof Robin Murray - economist

Prof Ian Miles - Technological Innovation and Social Change, Manchester University

Diane Elson- Women's Budget Group

Ian Taylor – Transport for Quality of Life

Cat Hobbes - We Own It

Kat Baird - Share Action

Mick Whelan - Aslef

Manuel Cortes –TSSA

Colin Hines - Green New Deal

Andrew Harrop - Fabian Society

Nadia Idle - War on Want

Andy Greene – Disabled people Against the Cuts

Peter Robinson - Campaign Against Climate Change

Blame people, not monarchy

Catherine Bennett's ad hominem attack on the royal family's expenses ("Value for money? Our royals aren't worth tuppence", Comment) may or may not be justified. But it was almost entirely beside the point. A monarch as head of state in the 21st century, especially one that also assumes leadership of a state religion, would still be an absurdity at a tenth of the cost.

The heir to the throne has almost no choice in the matter: you are brought up from birth, surrounded by an army of courtiers telling you that you have a sacred destiny to fulfil (and whose own income and status depend on it) and only insanity or death will get you out of it. Add an industry of royal service and supply, combined with a gossip-hungry press, and the resulting malign circle of interlocking interests makes the institution virtually immovable. A society that requires such an institution is clearly suffering from infantilism; it is also, quite probably, breaking the law. The European Human Rights Act 1998 demands "respect for private and family life" and guarantees "freedom of expression" – with no exceptions. Is there a lawyer out there who will take on the brief and put the British people in the dock?

Bill Angus

Kendal

Cumbria

Implacable blue plaque cuts

As two long-serving members of the English Heritage blue plaques panel who resigned in protest at what was being done to the blue plaques scheme, we are entirely in sympathy with the views expressed by our colleagues David Edgerton and Gillian Darley, who have also resigned ("English Heritage under fire as 'white men off the telly' dominate blue plaques panel", News). However, it is not the case that we resigned in protest at the need to make efficiency savings. We were in the process of making careful changes in order to meet the demand for cuts, when we were abruptly overtaken by drastic measures.

These involved cuts out of all proportion to what was required. Of the vital research and support team, five full-time equivalents were reduced to two. Panel members were asked to support these policies. Our view was that this extremely popular, long-established and cost-effective scheme was in real terms being dismantled and its previous achievements discredited.

Dr Celina Fox London

Dr Margaret Pelling Oxford

Walking back to happiness

What an interesting article by Tracy McVeigh on the life of TA Leonard ("150 years on from his birth, Britain salutes the man who got us walking", In Focus). His legacy to the "open air movement" is remarkable, but one important aspect was missing. The working-class young men enjoyed their holidays in the countryside so much that they decided to continue their rambles when they got home. Local groups of ramblers were formed – CHA and HF Clubs. They flourish to this day. My club, Bolton CHA Rambling Club, with almost 300 members, organises six graded rambles each week, two walking holidays yearly, together with social events. At the age of 109 we are still going strong – a true legacy of TA Leonard's work!

Kathleen Jackson

Bolton

See off the payday lenders

One reason for the UK credit union movement failing to grow more quickly is that legislation in the UK has been probably the most repressive in the world. ("Credit unions aim to step into the breach as curbs close payday lenders", Business). One other reason is that not all employers are prepared to allow a deduction from payroll for credit union savers.

All the most successful credit unions are based around employment where the key factor is employees having payroll deduction for payments to their credit union. For example, Plane Saver Credit Union, which we started 21 years ago at British Airways, has 10,000 members with assets of £36m.

Payroll deductions cost virtually nothing and balanced against the value they provide offer an amazing employment benefit. With political support and the endorsement of religious leaders we can see off payday lenders, doorstep lenders and loan sharks.

Graham Tomlin

Treasurer, Plane Saver Credit Union

Geography lesson overdue

An advertisement on page 11 invites me to "discover Europe". Please inform the Observer holiday department that I have already discovered Europe as I already live in Europe – in sunny Devon, as it happens!

Michael Tong

Kingsbridge