Broken bus market

Michael Dugher, Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary, commenting on the Campaign for Better Transport's report on local bus services, said today:

This is more evidence that like with the energy sector, the bus market is broken.  On David Cameron's watch bus fares have risen by 25% - an increase five times faster than wage growth - and big bus companies have been cutting crucial routes that people rely on to maximise their own profits.

The Competition Commission estimated the failure in competition within the bus market costs the taxpayer £305 million each year, but David Cameron has refused to stand up to the bus barons.

Labour is determined to see passenger power by regulating bus services in a better way.  We will act fast and legislate to give cities and county regions greater control over local bus services.  This will result in communities being able to determine routes, set fares and integrate and improve bus services.

Personally, I was with Michael all the way until that bit about counties.  Leicestershire County Council won't even fund rural libraries, so a fat lot they care about rural bus routes.  

I'm afraid many councils have completely failed to use the few powers they still have to face up to service provider cartels.  Another mechanism for breaking up the monopolies urgently needs to be found.  But at least we know Labour will look for one.

 

 

Hospitals feel the pinch & Possible consequences of the pensions overhaul

David F saw these items on the BBC News site and thought you should see them (just click on the blue underlined text):

Like householders up-and-down the country, hospitals have been counting the pennies this week. The results make grim reading, says Nick Triggle.

A huge change in the way people fund their retirement is likely to occur owing to the Chancellor's plans for pensions, but what are the hidden consequences?

Saving the NHS

'Outgoing NHS England Chief Executive David Nicholson  launched a sustained attack of the political debate around the health service in his farewell speech to the NHS Confederation.

'Sir David argued for the need to get away from the "tyranny of the electoral cycle" and said
that the government 'wasted' two years restructuring the NHS  instead of addressing the need to  transform services.

'Worse, during the 2010 election campaign, politicians "went around the country making promises
of no change".  David Nicholson made explicit reference to moratoriums on hospital reconfigurations, which had been promised by former health secretary Andrew Lansley before he took office.

'"We said at the time it was not the right thing to do - so what happened when we got a new government in, we wasted those two years where can really make change happen."

'David Nicholson argued that the reason that NHS England was set up was to look ahead and think strategically about the future of the NHS.  This strategy would get the NHS "out of the tyranny of that electoral cycle, to think about the NHS over the medium to long term".'

[Health Service Journal 14 June 2013 Page 15]

Thanks to David Fish for submitting this item.

PCC poster

At last!  Meaningful material from Central Office re the Police and Crime Commissioner elections.  Actually, very good material.  Congrats to whoever designed it.

Tory PCC Blame Game

David Hanson MP, Labour's Shadow Policing Minister, responding to Damian Green's comments that people can't complain about Police and Crime Commissioners if they don't vote, said:

“This Government will blame anyone but themselves for all the problems with these elections, when the truth is that they are all of their own making.

“But because these are important elections for the safety of our communities, Labour is doing our best to make them work. Our candidates are campaigning hard and we want as many people as possible to come out and vote Labour on 15 November so that we can send a message to David Cameron about his cuts to 15,000 police officers.”

HERE IN LEICESTERSHIRE IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE VOTE SARAH RUSSELL FOR PCC AND SHOW OUR OPPOSITION TO MORE POLICE CUTS!

Don't forget the PCC election!

Just over a week before the scandal of the £75 million police commissioner elections in which a tiny turnout of between 10 and 20% will see unheard-of Tories returned, claiming a mandate to cut and cut everything except their own wages, it is worth considering what the Tories really think about the police.

A week or so ago David sent me an article from the Birmingham Post.  You can read the article in full by clicking this hyperlink, and I recommend you do.  However, the crux of the matter is, the Tories are making West Midlands Police chip in £0.5m towards the cost of policing this year's Tory conference in the city.  To add insult to injury the same funding change means the force owe themselves £249,942 for the pleasure of protecting last year's LibDem conference from cheated voters.  All this of course, at a time when hundreds of  officers in the second city are facing the chop.

The government's ploy of downplaying the PCC elections is a disgrace - and we should be ashamed of ourselves for letting them get away with it.

So buck the trend on Thursday November 15.  Defy the pundits and vote in the PCC election.  Vote Labour.  Vote for Sarah Russell!

County Council Cuts

Great news for Labour in next year's election, bad news for anyone in need.  Our slash-and-burn Tory County Council (motto, Cutting because we can) is underspent by £13 million.  Underspent - in a county which has always been underfunded!  Other than staff and members' expenses, what do they spend anything on?  Still another thousand or so jobs to go but fortunately members' expenses are keeping pace with inflation.  Absolute scandal.  If we can't kick a few of the cutters into touch next May we're not doing it right.

I found the full story here.