Labour and the railways

Posted in Tubeworker's blog on ,

Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary Michael Dugher seems to have come round to the idea of renationalisation on the railways. He stated recently that he would like to "put the current franchising system in the bin" and that under a Labour Government "the public sector will be running sections of our rail network as soon as we can do that".

The RMT has long argued that the railway could be renationalised gradually and at minimal public cost by simply not offering the rail franchises to private tender as they expire and this appears to be the Labour leadership's new position. It isn't clear what has led to this change of heart, but it does show that even the current pro-market Labour leadership is susceptible to pressure on these issues and can be shifted.

We need it push it much further.

Two of the three major rail unions are affiliated to Labour, along with the other biggest unions (Unite, Unison, GMB, CWU, and more). Those affiliations could be used to push Labour further. Some on the left deride Labour as "red Tories", but that link, and the potential to use it to pressure the Labour leaders, shows there is a real distinction between them and the true blue variety.

Another Tory administration, particularly if it relies on a lash-up with Ukip, would be a disaster for rail workers and the working class more widely.

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