This YouGov poll courtesy of The Times’ RedBox is disturbing, it shows runaway support for re-nationalising the railways.  Crowded commuter trains and shoddy services are blamed on the privatised rail companies. People forget how truly abysmal the railways were when they were nationalised and called British Rail. Despite more people using the railways and higher satisfaction levels the rail companies have a terrible reputation.

The left goes on about public subsidies to private profit, which is true and something of which Guido would normally disapprove, however the alternative is to close the railway network. The truth is that very few railway services anywhere in the world outside metropolises are economically viable. This has basically been the case since the automobile became ubiquitous, and the situation has worsened as flying has become relatively cheaper. So either the taxpayer subsidises rail travellers or we tarmac over the railways and introduce speed limitless auto-routes…

The rail companies and the utilities better start investing in self-defence and explaining their case to the public, if they don’t, the most left-wing socialist government since Clement Atlee will nationalise them – with popular support. The Blairite vaccination of the Labour Party has worn off and the socialist disease has returned.  Red Ed and his increasingly probable coalition partners in the SNP are gagging to nationalise the railways…