TORIES ADMIT FAILURE OF PRIVATISATION, SAYS LUTON NORTH LABOUR MP

"It is time to recognise that the railway privatisation has been a calamity for Britain and that bringing the railways back into public ownership as a single unified organisation is the only way forward", says Kelvin Hopkins, Labour MP for Luton North.

"After the Paddington train crash I called for re-nationalisation, and after the Hatfield disaster there is no argument that public ownership is the only sensible strategy for the future.

"Shadow Tory Ministers admitted at the weekend that "errors had been made" in privatising the railways and Railtrack Chief, Gerald Corbett has been calling privately for a "public-private partnership" for the railways. One does not have to be a Bletchley Park code breaker to see what he really means. The railways must be taken back into public ownership now as a public service, accountable to the Government and to Parliament.

"The railways receive thousands of millions of Pounds of taxpayers' money every year in subsidy, but at the same time are paying out millions in shareholder profits. This is utter nonsense. Public money should go into investment and new track, new safety systems and new trains not fat cats' pockets".

For further information please contact Kelvin Hopkins MP on Luton 448208.