One of the building blocks of Sir Keir Starmer’s successful campaign to become Labour leader was his promise to renationalise public services.
Pitching for party members’ votes in 2020, he pledged that if in power, he would bring the railways, mail, water and energy back into permanent common ownership.
‘Public services should be in public hands,’ he thundered, ‘not making profits for shareholders.’
Since then, however, slippery Sir Keir has seemingly abandoned his commitment to renationalisation. Not for ideological reasons, but out of naked political expedience.
By ditching this pledge, he thinks he is less likely to spook wavering Tory voters – and, as a result, more likely to win the election.
Even so, state ownership remains much admired on the Labour benches. Who would bet against Sir Keir, a shameless political flip-flopper, reverting to his more socialist tendencies if he enters No 10?
Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) pledged that if in power, he would bring the railways, mail, water and energy back into permanent common ownership
![Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells (pictured) ran the Post Office while it routinely denied there was a problem with its Horizon IT system](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/00/79824927-0-image-a-107_1704846953228.jpg)
Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells (pictured) ran the Post Office while it routinely denied there was a problem with its Horizon IT system
In theory, public ownership is meant to be benign – operating in the best interest of the workers, the consumer and the taxpayer.
But the catastrophic failures of the Post Office, over its malfunctioning Horizon IT system, is a stark reminder of why nationalisation is deeply undesirable.
When concerns were raised that the computer software was showing mysterious losses, which led to hundreds of postmasters and mistresses being wrongly prosecuted for stealing from their own tills, no one in charge was prepared to take responsibility.
Instead, the bosses of this supposedly venerable institution closed ranks. They engaged in deceit, wilful obstructionism, self-protection and cover-up – throwing innocent men and women to the wolves.
While disgraced Post Office chief Paula Vennells has handed back her CBE, no one has been brought to book over the scandal – not executives, not Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, who was then post office minister.
Such a lack of accountability in state-owned or ‘arm’s-length’ organisations such as the Post Office is a major problem.
Compare this with the private sector, where answerability to shareholders means those at the top have less margin for blunders.
When it was revealed last year that Alison Rose at NatWest had breached client confidentiality and BP’s Bernard Looney had misled his board about past relationships with colleagues, they were out on their ears.
No one suggests that private firms haven’t harmed people and businesses. The point is, though, they are much more likely to be punished for mistakes – let alone grotesque miscarriages of justice.
![Rachel Meade (pictured, left) shared gender-critical articles on social media](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/00/79824969-0-image-a-108_1704846969477.jpg)
Rachel Meade (pictured, left) shared gender-critical articles on social media
In a blast of common sense, a tribunal has ruled that a social worker should never have been suspended over her belief that no one can change their biological sex.
In any sane world, Rachel Meade, who shared gender-critical articles on social media, would not have needed to take action against her employer, Westminster City Council, and regulator, Social Work England.
But after receiving a complaint, both organisations suggested Mrs Meade’s opinions could be ‘transphobic’. This stance, the panel concluded, was ‘not sensible’ and ‘wholly inappropriate’.
The trouble is, time and again trans activists employ aggressive tactics to silence people who hold differing views to their own. Mrs Meade has won a huge victory for freedom of expression. We salute her.
No sooner had the junior doctors ended the longest strike in NHS history than the hard-Left BMA was threatening further walkouts until September.
In pursuit of a preposterous 35 per cent pay claim, they have already caused the postponement of one million appointments and operations – putting patients’ lives at risk.
By abandoning their wards so callously and needlessly, these medics have chosen hypocrisy over the Hippocratic Oath.