Jeremy Corbyn

What else would it look like? That's the last time the UK railways network was public owned, why would it look different?

Because it'd be a different organisation with different rules and regulations..? There's no standard mandatory template for public ownership, is there?

Well I believe the theory is profits would have to be re-invested instead of given out to investors. So if there were any profits then yes those things would happen.

Also bear in mind that if this happens as one of the first tests of a Corbyn government, the press will focus on every flaw/hiccup more than they have ever done since privatisation.

It will be an interesting one to follow though - as the reason Corbyn is focussing on this is because Polls show that there is a fair bit of support for it.

upon nationalisation people would expect a price decrease and performance improvements

Hmm don't think so. It would need to be (and probably would be) the subject of widespread public discussion, and the rules and aims should be transparent. So they could set out rules like say, fares stay the same in line with inflation except for say X and Y ripoff fares that might come down; 100% of profit reinvested; £Z subsidy each year and so on. Whatever the terms were, they should be set out.

And also remember publicly owned doesn't have to mean government run.

How do the franchise fees the government receives from the operating company (at no risk) compare with the profits the treasury received when publicly owned?

Its pointless discussing one without the other as a comparison surely?

upon nationalisation people would expect a price decrease and performance improvements

Correct, if it's going under public ownership it's because the current system doesn't work. In train terms "doesn't work" means it's either too expensive, it has poor performance (punctuality) or it's overcrowded. So the public would expect that to improve quickly, and that will not be a cheap undertaking. So there go your profits and some very, very quickly.

IIRC and I can't be arsed googling it - Less in the case of east coast mainline. It cost the public purse to give it to virgin.

A majority of the public want the railways nationalised and the beauty is it could be done at no cost.

East Coast paid back over £1 billion to the government over the course of its franchise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Coast_%28train_operating_company%29

A majority of the public want the railways nationalised and the beauty is it could be done at no cost.

A majority of the public think that Mrs Brown's Boys is the best sitcom this century....

So the public would expect that to improve quickly, and that will not be a cheap undertaking. So there go your profits and some very, very quickly

I'd be interested to know what public appetite is for significantly increased rail subsidy rather than simply public ownership.

Take back into public ownership and invest is (I hope) the plan.

Unless you set it up with a ring fenced budget the Treasury would take back any profit at the end of the year, so it won't get re-invested. Even with a ring-fence a cash strapped government would still raid it.

Wait - HE staged it?

Politician in setting up a political photo opportunity shocker! Isn't this what those who keep telling him to behave more like a conventional politician want him to do? This is how you win elections is it not?

God it's hot out...

So, the very best the Corbyn haters can do, is prattle on about whether or not Corbs 'staged' the 'packed train' thing?

Really? 😆

So, it's taken almost a week for Virgin trains to come up with a 'rebuttal'? Does photoshopping/video editing really take that long? 😉

Let's look at Virgin trains; consistently the worst provider in terms of customer satisfaction.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34474212

Worst for actual 'performance'.

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/about/performance/

Virgin trains, receiver of massive public subsidies:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/10/truth-richard-branson-virgin-rail-profits

Virgin trains, owned by the lovely 'Sir' Richard Branson:

http://tinyurl.com/htxxsyx

Richard Branson, who might have a vested interest in continuing to profit from Virgin trains. Profit which might be threatened somewhat, by Corbyn's plans to re-nationalise the railways. Not to mention Sir Richard's plans to capitalise on healthcare when the tories sell him chunks of it.

Not really that difficult to see why he'd take to social media in an attempt to damage Corb's credibility, is it? And you're crowing about Corbyn's integrity? Really?

'Staged' or not; Corbyn's got you all talking about transport nationalisation. What a move. 😆

So.. apart from the air conditioning, the lattes, the edible sandwiches, working toilets, wifi, and free unreserved seats...

[img] [/img]

What have Virgin Trains ever done for us?!

A majority of the public want the railways nationalised and the beauty is it could be done at no cost.

A majority of the public don't travel on the train and will never do so.

Corbyn has repeatedly said the trains are too expensive and the companies are making "massive" profits, so he is clearly inferring he would reduce prices. In practice of course he'd do no such thing.

Re-nationalisation would come at a massive cost including far more strikes and enormous pension liabilities.

I see Corbyn has been caught with his pants firmly down by Virgin trains for blatant misrepresentation via a video of him sitting on the floor complaining about overcrowding when in fact there where free seats.

@clod this isn't the best we can do, its just todays story on the never ending trail of F-ups which comprise his leadership. Re-nationalising the railways is one of his flagship policies ... and he's shot himself in the foot. So much spin his eyeballs are going to pop out

@yunki what on earth makes you think I am not in favour of equality ? We live in one of the most egalitarian places in the world which I fully support.

Don't forget the free breakfasts in first class!

After a midway dip this thread is maturing nicely, especially in the last week or so. Well done boys keep up the good work. And well done Jezza you've struck a rich seam of comedy gold.

@jamby are you in favour of nationalising the railways?

Re-nationalisation would come at a massive cost including far more strikes and enormous pension liabilities.

SOURCES!

A majority of the public don't travel on the train and will never do so.

In practice of course he'd do no such thing.

I gave up as your entire post was just made up RW frothing

what on earth makes you think I am not in favour of equality ?

Go on then are you in favour for completely equal rights for the arabs/palestinians within Israel and you want to openly criticise it for its racist policies ?

I assume you wish to complain about the way ONLY jews have the right to emigrate there,, Palestinians alone have restricted marriage rights as that is clearly unfair....go on give them both barrels of your egalitarian cannon 😉

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_citizens_of_Israel#Civil_rights

Some facts for you to ignore

Don't forget the free breakfasts in first class!

First class ?? FIRST CLASS?!?!?!

Know that come the revolution, the revolution will be coming for you comrade!

That so-called first class breakfast that you ate in your so-called first class was stolen from out of the mouth of a hard-working, unemployed baby who subsidises you capitalist, Blairite, running dog, red-tory, biased-media, tory scum who is both scum and a tory AND a Blairite.

After this, I think Jeremy can kiss goodbye to ever being PM.

Corbyn's got you all talking about transport nationalisation.

Great. What a masterstroke.

If that's his great legacy he shouldn't have creased his trousers for it.

beauty is it could be done at no cost.

No cost. Really?

Public sector doing something that big at no cost.

Hahaha hahaha hahaha ha.

Ha.

Werp.

Yeah, you know. Like HS2.

Commanding heights of the economy, and all that innit bruv...

Network Rail is publicly owned, it was quietly nationalised last year. It now comes under the treasury ( they've already ****ed over the final salary pension scheme........*unts)

Most of the TOCs make little money from trains, profit margin if any tends to be parking fees etc

Still it was nice to see Silken Stalin busted.

Bit late to this bit aren't all the empty seats he walks past (coach H)first class? Therefore the reason he walks past them....

Also this is hardly a major deal is it "man sits on floor when he could have sat on a seat" is all over the news but "PM hides daddys money in Panama" is swept under the carpet after he posts a tax return (yeah because if you have money in an illegal offshore fund you would put it on your tax return??!?)

We live in one of the most egalitarian places in the world which I fully support.

Now that has to be the most mind-bendingly stupid jambyfact I've read to date.

Here's the pic Branson tweeted

Im struggling to see any seats that weren't reserved, certainly not enough for him and his posse

[img] [/img]

I travel daily on virgin trains id say 30% of times I don't get a seat leaving London and I pay five grand a year for that (that is a hefty chunk of my salary too!)

So much for the 'new spin free' politics. What a hypocrite. So lame.

aren't all the empty seats he walks past (coach H)first class?

No, its the same carriage that he ends up sitting down in half an hour later

note camera number and time stamp: (and as earlier, you can check the GPS location of the first photo with empty seats, clearly without reservations, to be just as the train leaves London)

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

Look forward the pic above futon, Branson is taking out of his arse

[url= http://www.independent.co.uk/news/passengers-dispute-virgin-trains-version-of-jeremy-corbyn-sitting-on-floor-video-a7205631.html ]Eye witness accounts.. sort of...[/url]

No, its the same carriage that he ends up sitting down in half an hour later

Is it **** mate.

[IMG] [/IMG]

[IMG] [/IMG]

Hang on, so, wait...

When Jezza did the actual video, the train was packed, and it was only later that there were free seats (after some people had got off)?

So Jezza didn't stage it after all? Ha ha! 😆

Virgin trains in 'trying to cover their own arses by lying' shocker. Surprise surprise!

Love it. I knew there'd be more to this. Loving the fact the right wingers on here must be really fuming now, that they know they've been duped by Branson. 😆

Meanwhile, the tories and their mates are screwing our country. Interesting that that issue isn't important to some.

And to crown it all:

"But please help me out. How do I tell if someone is real or not. There are some people sitting in the [b]coffee shop[/b] next to me. Do I just ask or should I try and pinch them?"

If I didn't know any better, I'd say you did that on purpose, for comedy effect. But I do know better, and you really are that out of touch. 😆

"Thanks for your advice in advance"

Try cinnamon instead of chocolate sprinkles, on your cappuccino.

http://www.beyondtheheadlines.co.uk/2016/08/23/the-london-to-newcastle-virgin-train-was-ram-packed/

"I see the right has been caught with their pants firmly down by Virgin trains for blatant misrepresentation "

FTFY. 😉

"No, its the same carriage that he ends up sitting down in half an hour later"

"Is it **** mate."

Oof. That really must hurt. 😆

Is it **** mate.

Look at the two photos in my post, "mate" - the photo of the seats [b]without[/b] reserved tickets at 11.10, are quite clearly the same seats that he sits down in half an hour later, note also the identical 'food bar' curtains and posters, and, oops, the same carriage number too 10321 not carriage 12316 from where the picture [b]with[/b] the reserved tickets is from

oops, it pays to actually look before you shoot, doesn't it, "mate" 😉

When Jezza did the actual video, the train was packed, and it was only later that there were free seats (after some people had got off)?

And where, prey tell, does an East Coast main line train out of London stop in the first forty minutes of the journey for people to get off?

Or do you think they jumped out the window?

Come the revolution First Class will be packed with BR employees, their families, Union officials and government employees. Just like it always was!

The Train can't be that packed if you can sit on the floor, proper packed trains are standing room only.

There are obviously some Corbyn fanboys and haters on here and it's funny to read. But as someone who considers himself a floating voter at every election and open to voting for anyone (within reason), this really does make him and his team look like dicks. I don't see a new way of politics here, he's as prone to bullshit like all the others.

as someone who considers himself a floating voter at every election and open to voting for anyone (within reason),

[b]PURGE THE SPLITTER! TRAITOROUS SCUM![/b]
Etc.

😉

"oops, it pays to actually look before you shoot, doesn't it, "mate""

It does. Eyewitness accounts (several) conflict with Virgin trains' version. Keep believing Branson though. That's what he wants you to do.

Anyway, back to rail nationalisation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/18/foreign-state-owned-railway-british-train-companies-revenue_n_8003970.html

Oh. So, we subsidise other countries' state-owned transport systems? And pay more per mile than any of those countries?

What a wonderful thing privatisation is...

How much notice do they give before the hustings? Is it enough time to book a ticket in advance and reserve a seat?

I like the idea of approaching politics in a different way, however I'm not sure I'd trust a man/team to run the country when they can't even organise a train seat in advance.