Has Jeremy Corbyn Missed the Bus by Running for the Train? | John D Turner

Last Updated: January 2, 2016By
gravy-train

Gravy train indeed: Rail services benefit from national subsidies but prices are still rising massively. What about locally-funded bus services?

Mr Turner makes a good point about rises in bus fares – but his criticism of Labour falls well short of the mark.

In attacking the Conservative Government’s support for the privatised – but heavily subsidised – rail system, Labour is making a strong point about misuse of public money provided by everybody who has paid any form of tax.

Bus fares are different. Mr Turner attacks Labour over what he suggests are “retail policies tailor-made for marginal seats” – but any policy on bus fares must also, by nature, be a “retail policy”, and tailor-made for each constituency seat on an individual basis; there is no national policy or subsidy.

He is absolutely right that Labour needs an overarching policy on this – but attacking the party because it went for the more obvious target is a mistake.

Train fares in Britain to rise by average of 1.1%. Bus fares in Birmingham rise by 4.8%. Corbyn and Labour fret over the former.

Source: Has Jeremy Corbyn Missed the Bus by Running for the Train? | John D Turner

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No Comments

  1. Jeffery Davies January 2, 2016 at 2:42 pm - Reply

    Hmm dont bus companies get supsidised by local councils has it makes a mockery of their going private when tax or rate payers pays them nah its tory policy to get companies dipping into our tax pot so that they can milk it strange no greedie yes jeff3

  2. thomassutcliffe January 2, 2016 at 2:43 pm - Reply

    Bus fares are a disgrace – as I pointed out recently when extracting compensation for unacceptable service from my local bus company the bus fare swallows my first hour’s pay whole. However to suggest that one should look to deal with buses in preference to dealing with the railways is nonsense – who ever said it is an either/or. Certainly to me as a non-driver it is very much not an either/or – both need dealing with.

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