The Campaign for Public Ownership strongly condemns the government’s decision to sell the publicly-owned Northern Rock bank to Virgin Money for £747m, meaning an effective loss of between £400m and £650m to the British taxpayer.
The history of privatisation is littered with examples of the government short-changing the taxpayer and this is yet another one.
The government could have kept the bank in public ownership. Failing that, it could have returned Northern Rock to the mutual sector, but only at a time when the transaction would have made taxpayers a profit. While the profitable part of Northern Rock is being sold off, the taxpayer is left holding Northern Rock (Asset Management), into which was placed the company‘s bad debt. It is a classic case of privatising the profits, while nationalising the losses.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The Coalition’s NHS changes ‘to cause irreparable harm’ say doctors
The BBC reports:
The overhaul of the NHS in England will cause irreparable harm, according to leading public health doctors.
In a letter to peers, who will debate the changes next week, nearly 400 public health experts said the changes must be rejected as they represented a risk to patient care and safety.
The doctors suggested it would fragment services, possibly threatening vaccination and screening campaigns.
The revelation that such influential members of the public health community have put their names to the letter comes on the day Health Secretary Andrew Lansley is to address the Conservative Party conference.
The Campaign for Public Ownership calls for peers to listen to the views of the medical profession, nurses, NHS workers and the general public and to reject the government's bill when it comes to the House of Lords next week.
The overhaul of the NHS in England will cause irreparable harm, according to leading public health doctors.
In a letter to peers, who will debate the changes next week, nearly 400 public health experts said the changes must be rejected as they represented a risk to patient care and safety.
The doctors suggested it would fragment services, possibly threatening vaccination and screening campaigns.
The revelation that such influential members of the public health community have put their names to the letter comes on the day Health Secretary Andrew Lansley is to address the Conservative Party conference.
The Campaign for Public Ownership calls for peers to listen to the views of the medical profession, nurses, NHS workers and the general public and to reject the government's bill when it comes to the House of Lords next week.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Save the NHS! Write to your MP ahead of next week's vote
There's just a few days to go before the Third Reading of the government's appalling NHS Bill.
The BMA have made clear their opposition to the bill here.
It is clear that the troubled passage of the Health and Social Care Bill reflects real concern over the future direction of the health service in England…….
the BMA continues to call for the Bill to be withdrawn or, at the very least, to be subject to further, significant amendment......
We believe there continues to be an inappropriate and misguided reliance on "market forces" to shape services.
If you haven't done so already, please sign the 38 Degrees Save the NHS petition, and also write to/email your MP ahead of next week's important vote.
As Guardian commentator Seumas Milne says, we cannot allow the abolition of the NHS in all but name.
The BMA have made clear their opposition to the bill here.
It is clear that the troubled passage of the Health and Social Care Bill reflects real concern over the future direction of the health service in England…….
the BMA continues to call for the Bill to be withdrawn or, at the very least, to be subject to further, significant amendment......
We believe there continues to be an inappropriate and misguided reliance on "market forces" to shape services.
If you haven't done so already, please sign the 38 Degrees Save the NHS petition, and also write to/email your MP ahead of next week's important vote.
As Guardian commentator Seumas Milne says, we cannot allow the abolition of the NHS in all but name.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Neil Clark: Bring Back British Rail- a surefire vote winner
This article, by CPO co-founder Neil Clark, appears in the First Post.
Back in the 1990s, supporters of privatisation claimed it would lead to a reduction in the amount of government subsidy to the railways - in fact it has led to the very opposite, with private companies sucking in around five times more in public funds than the state-owned British Rail did. Effectively, taxpayers' money is going to help to boost the privately-owned rail companies' profits - no wonder Richard Branson is regularly pictured with a huge grin on his face.
If Ed Miliband were to move decisively to end this 21st century legalised version of the Great Train Robbery, he would reap a sizeable electoral dividend.
You can read the whole article here.
UPDATE: You can sign a petition to the government, calling for the renationalisation of the railways here. Please try and spare a minute or so to sign, and also tell your friends about the petition too.
Back in the 1990s, supporters of privatisation claimed it would lead to a reduction in the amount of government subsidy to the railways - in fact it has led to the very opposite, with private companies sucking in around five times more in public funds than the state-owned British Rail did. Effectively, taxpayers' money is going to help to boost the privately-owned rail companies' profits - no wonder Richard Branson is regularly pictured with a huge grin on his face.
If Ed Miliband were to move decisively to end this 21st century legalised version of the Great Train Robbery, he would reap a sizeable electoral dividend.
You can read the whole article here.
UPDATE: You can sign a petition to the government, calling for the renationalisation of the railways here. Please try and spare a minute or so to sign, and also tell your friends about the petition too.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Age of the £10,000 train season ticket: 'Scandalous' 30% fare increase will hit millions
Isn't rail privatisation wonderful?
The Daily Mail reports:
Rail fare rises of up to 30 per cent over the next four years were denounced today as a ‘national scandal’ that will price millions of people off trains.
The increases will herald the era of the £10,000 annual season ticket.
Passengers enduring overcrowded and late-running trains will face average rises of 8 per cent next January.
You can read the full story here.
The Daily Mail reports:
Rail fare rises of up to 30 per cent over the next four years were denounced today as a ‘national scandal’ that will price millions of people off trains.
The increases will herald the era of the £10,000 annual season ticket.
Passengers enduring overcrowded and late-running trains will face average rises of 8 per cent next January.
You can read the full story here.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
British Gas shareholders receive bonus while customers suffer
The Daily Telegraph reports:
Centrica, which owns Britain’s biggest gas and electricity company, announced profits of £1.3 billion for the past six months, including £270 million for British Gas.
The company is going ahead with a 12 per cent rise in payouts to shareholders, despite the price rise for its energy customers.
Centrica said that the rise, which comes into force in the middle of next month, was vital for the company to make a profit in the second half of the year.
Nine million residential customers are preparing for an 18 per cent rise in gas prices and a 16 per cent rise in electricity prices.
The rise will add about £190 to the cost of customers’ average annual bills, which will now be £1,286.
More on this story here.
Centrica, which owns Britain’s biggest gas and electricity company, announced profits of £1.3 billion for the past six months, including £270 million for British Gas.
The company is going ahead with a 12 per cent rise in payouts to shareholders, despite the price rise for its energy customers.
Centrica said that the rise, which comes into force in the middle of next month, was vital for the company to make a profit in the second half of the year.
Nine million residential customers are preparing for an 18 per cent rise in gas prices and a 16 per cent rise in electricity prices.
The rise will add about £190 to the cost of customers’ average annual bills, which will now be £1,286.
More on this story here.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Neil Clark: The Coalition's Public services proposals will not mean more choice
This article, by CPO co-founder Neil Clark, appears on the Guardian's Comment is Free website.
Neil Clark: David Cameron wants us to believe that rolling back state provision will benefit the public. The opposite is true.
Thirty-two years after Margaret Thatcher swept into Downing Street promising to roll back the frontiers of the state, the neoliberal drive towards a fully privatised Britain is entering its final stages. The government's new Open Public Services white paper, revealed by David Cameron last week, may have passed under the radar somewhat due to the scandals engulfing the Murdoch media empire, but it's an important document nonetheless.
You can read the whole of the article here.
Neil Clark: David Cameron wants us to believe that rolling back state provision will benefit the public. The opposite is true.
Thirty-two years after Margaret Thatcher swept into Downing Street promising to roll back the frontiers of the state, the neoliberal drive towards a fully privatised Britain is entering its final stages. The government's new Open Public Services white paper, revealed by David Cameron last week, may have passed under the radar somewhat due to the scandals engulfing the Murdoch media empire, but it's an important document nonetheless.
You can read the whole of the article here.
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