bluethrunthru
Well-Known Member
75% of our rail companies are owned by Nationalised companies which are owned by foreign states.
http://actionforrail.org/three-quarters-of-uk-rail-owned-by-foreign-states-research-reveals/
Over half of our water companies are, at least partly, foreign owned.
http://www.aol.co.uk/money/2013/05/21/who-really-owns-our-water-companies/
66% of the "big six" Energy companies are foreign owned.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Six_energy_suppliers
We're going to leave the EU and have the vast majority of our utilities run by, and profited from, by other EU states, some of whom have admitted that they do cream-off profits from the UK to spend on their own infrastructure.
"A German Transport Ministry spokesperson recently admitted to such a strategy in reference to its state-owned company Deutsche Bahn: “We’re skimming profit from the entire Deutsche Bahn and ensuring that it is anchored in our budget – that way we can make sure it is invested in the rail network here in Germany.”"
FTR Deutsche Bahn "operates the Arriva Trains Wales, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, Grand Central and Tyne & Wear Metro operations. On 1 April 2016 Arriva became the operator of the Northern rail franchise. It also holds a 50% shareholding in London Overground Rail Operations and has lodged an application to operate services under the Great North Western Railway brand. In November 2016, Arriva Rail London will commence operating the London Overground concession in its own right."
Meanwhile...
"The publicly owned East Coast main line is due to be privatised by the government, despite operating very successfully. Since being taken back under public ownership in 2009, East Coast has returned over £1bn to the Treasury, in stark contrast to private train operators. East Coast was brought under public ownership following the failure of two previous private train operators, but the government seems determined to privatise it."
We have the highest fares in Europe. Passengers and taxpayers are subsidising a system that hands increasing profits to private, largely foreign, state-owned train operators, rather than being invested back into the system, as it would be under public ownership.
I find it strange that those who want us out of the EU, also are seemingly happy that EU states (mainly) are profiting from us!?
Apparently they believe that we're not capable, as a nation, to successfully do it ourselves. Despite plenty of contemporary evidence to the contrary.
Imagine that our very own successful, nationalised, owned by the nation, run for the nation, rail, water and energy companies got so successful that they were able to own, and profit from, ventures into foreign lands...
You'd think it was a Brexiters dream. But no. Apparently it's ludicrous. Apparently it's a throwback. Apparently it's the 1970s all over again.
We need to take back control of and invest in our country, it's assets, infrastructure, institutions and people.
Isn't that the wonderful myth? Denounce state ownership but support state ownership as long as its not your state - then you refer to it as market forces. And then throw Brexit into the mix and yeah you wonder why strong and stable leadership and taking back control from the EU doesn't include our transport and utilities but the party who suggests it are unelectable lefties - yeah right