A great prize, but a great risk: why we all need the nationalised South Western Railway to work | Sarah Nankivell

If fares don’t fall and services don’t improve, it could undermine the case for public ownership for a long time to comeA historic journey took place this week, when the first renationalised South Western Railway (SWR) service departed from Woking for Waterloo. Yet unfortunately, passengers had to disembark at Surbiton and board a rail replacement bus as a result of engineering work.The incident highlights that this is a moment of maximum vulnerability in the push for greater nationalisation in Britain. SWR is the first train company to be nationalised under this Labour government, which has plans to renationalise nearly all services in England by 2027. But at the launch, the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said she couldn’t promise that nationalisation would yield lower fares. If services don’t improve and fares don’t fall, critics will have their attack line ready: “We told you nationalisation doesn’t work – just look at the trains.”Sarah Nankivell is deputy director of Common Wealth Continue reading...

Comments

Opinions

Letter to the editor: She's no "Magic," either

washington times

Move over Gwynnie! There's another health hustler in town... and, writes MAUREEN CALLAHAN, Hoda Kotb's new 'wellness' brand is guaranteed to make you sick to your stomach

about 15 hours ago

Dailymail

Kate Moss's extraordinary row with neighbour revealed, a nepo baby admits what everyone's thinking... and a Marchioness's quip to Meghan: RICHARD EDEN'S DIARY

about 15 hours ago

Dailymail

The revealing inside account of how Baroness Bra came undone: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone

about 15 hours ago

Dailymail

STEPHEN GLOVER: I once believed Farage would take up Mrs T's mantle. Now, as he jettisons her core beliefs, he's looking less like the saviour this country needs

about 15 hours ago

Don’t fall for the rent-freeze demagogues — they’ll make NY’s housing squeeze WORSE

Newyork Post

SAUCY SECRETS: My husband destroyed my self-esteem with his 'innocent' secret. Now I've found out... and I don't think I'll ever get over his betrayal

about 21 hours ago

Letter to the editor: Policies must increase stability and meet people's needs

washington times

Simon Jordan's alternative 2024-25 season awards: Why Sir Jim Ratcliffe left me pulling my hair out, my response to cheeky James Maddison and the irony of Enzo Maresca's F-bomb

about 24 hours ago

Letters to the Editor: Republican lawmakers could learn a thing or two from Costco and Ben & Jerry's

LA Times

PETER VAN ONSELEN: Sussan Ley had the chance to put her seal on the Coalition's new future. Instead, she may just have sealed her own fate...

1 day ago

washington times

Memorial is reminder of LIV Golf and failure to fix the split

1 day ago

Newyork Post

Michael Goodwin: Scott Pelley’s anti-Trump diatribe was more of the same warped, distorted nonsense that puts the BS in CBS

1 day ago

Comments

Opinions

Letter to the editor: She's no "Magic," either

Letters: Have our MSPs really got nothing better to talk about than toilets?

60% of voters back it - so why is Labour set to scrap the two-child benefits cap?

Here's how you get lucky at the pharmacy

The rubbish the wine bar fakes like Farage talk about the working class makes me sick

Our politicians must have the courage to rethink energy policy

Can I avoid inheritance tax using loophole of owning a historic listed building?

Parcel Compare won't pay for broken £500 synthesizer because the BOX was reused: CRANE ON THE CASE

Trump is delivering a 'Golden Age of American innovation'

Miranda Devine: The left’s assassination fixation only further normalizes political violence

Scott Pelley’s anti-Trump rant: Letters to the Editor — May 29, 2025

Move over Gwynnie! There's another health hustler in town... and, writes MAUREEN CALLAHAN, Hoda Kotb's new 'wellness' brand is guaranteed to make you sick to your stomach

Kate Moss's extraordinary row with neighbour revealed, a nepo baby admits what everyone's thinking... and a Marchioness's quip to Meghan: RICHARD EDEN'S DIARY

The revealing inside account of how Baroness Bra came undone: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone

STEPHEN GLOVER: I once believed Farage would take up Mrs T's mantle. Now, as he jettisons her core beliefs, he's looking less like the saviour this country needs

Don’t fall for the rent-freeze demagogues — they’ll make NY’s housing squeeze WORSE

Politicizing US-led Gaza food aid only serves Hamas and other Israel-haters

New sanctions are ‘really bad things’ that Trump should drop on peace-averse Putin

Trump’s team needs to spell out what ‘winning’ over Harvard means, or they risk defeat

After tot’s scary brush with an e-bike, NYC must rethink its bike lanes

For the truth about ‘socialist utopia’ dreams, ask a North Korean

Dems’ suicidal groupthink, Israel haters’ anti-aid insanity and other commentary

Nothing can stop ‘Oh, Mary!’ and Cole Escola at the Tony Awards

The blueprint to passing AI and social-media regulations

Unbridled freedom of speech is foundational to America's history, humanity and happiness

The death of proper English: America lost in lazy language

President Trump is delivering a 'Golden Age of American innovation'

Balancing accountability and autonomy in education choice programs

China and Russia gain African influence while America ignores Western Sahara sovereignty crisis

American antisemitism: An oxymoron?

Senate's One Big Beautiful Bill process likely to focus on saving taxpayer money

Clarence Thomas provides roadmap for ending government-sponsored discrimination

The Joe Biden scandal set off a Democratic civil war — that will tear the party to pieces

No silk road for Shein float: Labour's big kowtow to Beijing has failed, says ALEX BRUMMER

The Government’s soft-touch jail reforms — coupled with budget cuts — will lead to a dangerous crimewave

Race, not talent, has come to define the Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese rivalry

'I want to be involved in a disability sport, but I just don’t know how?'

Community energy must be the next step in the renewables revolution

Campervans ended our dream of a Highland life. They need to be taxed

Are we going back to the bad old days when Glasgow was the murder capital of Europe?

Sadiq Khan is off his head – cannabis plan isn’t progress, it’s surrender to addiction and violence and will ruin London

Have you heard the best doctor joke yet? They want huge pay rise just after 22% deal. Here’s where they can shove it

SAUCY SECRETS: My husband destroyed my self-esteem with his 'innocent' secret. Now I've found out... and I don't think I'll ever get over his betrayal

Letter to the editor: Policies must increase stability and meet people's needs

Rubio's so simple yet so effective free speech mandate

Letter to the editor: Let's get to the bottom of COVID-19

Letter to the editor: Roberts not upholding his sworn oath

As a victim, I'm horrified by the idea of any rapist being let out early: JENNI MURRAY

Simon Jordan's alternative 2024-25 season awards: Why Sir Jim Ratcliffe left me pulling my hair out, my response to cheeky James Maddison and the irony of Enzo Maresca's F-bomb

Letters to the Editor: Republican lawmakers could learn a thing or two from Costco and Ben & Jerry's

Democrat donors rebel as party's favor falls even more

Best of The Babylon Bee: French prez Macron claims he fell down stairs again

When you're fighting crime, is it better with a rhyme?

Look at how Norway does ferries, Scotland. Not so hard, is it?

Whatever happened to the old police ethos of keeping people safe?

Scotland deserves better than Reform's despicable campaigning style

North Sea job losses warning by major player

PETER VAN ONSELEN: Sussan Ley had the chance to put her seal on the Coalition's new future. Instead, she may just have sealed her own fate...

Memorial is reminder of LIV Golf and failure to fix the split

Michael Goodwin: Scott Pelley’s anti-Trump diatribe was more of the same warped, distorted nonsense that puts the BS in CBS