Today [Tuesday 19 November 2024] Labour MPs have voted against
improving rail services for passengers.
This afternoon the House of Commons voted on Labour's Passenger
Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, their legislation to
bring railways back into public ownership.
This included an amendment made by Conservative Peers in the
Lords that was designed to ensure the government put passengers
first.
The amendment would have put in law that “The purpose of this Act
is to improve the performance of passenger railway services in
the United Kingdom.”
The amendment would also require the Secretary of State to have
regard to that purpose when taking action under any of the
provisions in the Bill.
However, 319 Labour MPs decided to vote down the
amendment.
In doing so, the Labour Party has made clear that their
re-nationalisation plans have never been about benefitting rail
passengers. Their only aim is to hand more power to their union
paymasters.
This follows their decision to hand inflation busting pay rises
to the unions, including to increasing train driver salaries by
£10,000 – all whilst cutting Winter Fuel Payments for 10 million
pensioners, and now breaking their promises on tax to the public
with their Budget.
MP, Shadow Transport
Secretary, said:
“This Labour government has stated loud and clear that it is
committed to pursuing an ideological mission over helping
passengers.'
“Today they were given the opportunity by the Conservatives to
stand up for their own promises and put into law a requirement to
put passengers first in their ideological nationalisation plans.
Instead, their MPs lined up in droves to vote down this
amendment, a clear demonstration of Labour's desire to pursue
nationalisation at all costs."
“Just like their ideological, inflation busting pay deals for
train drivers, handed over as they cruelly cut Winter Fuel
Payments for 10 million pensioners, Labour has chosen to put
ideology ahead of country.”
