Anyone in favour of Nationalisation of utilities?

[Justin Passing]

Question - how do you establish a competent, independent, apolitical, incorruptible overseer? Guided by hmg policies but not appointed direectly by hmg. ?
It would need judicial oversight.

 

[ellal]

Nationalisation as in taking them all out of foreign ownership YES

Nationalisation as in being run by the government NO

Care to tell us how that could work in practice?

 

[ajohn]

The general thoughts on the problems with nationalised this and that is political interference for political reasons. Shedding people when needed and areas like that as well.

An early one was that they don't feel the need to compete. BT is a sort of example. Product development etc. That is now seen as a didn't encourage it problem.

Then companies are always finding ways of reducing costs. Tories say so, must be true. No comment. If only it was that simple.

I'm not so sure we could afford to buy them back. They will all have debt as well. Seems the gov warrantee that but only seems going on odd bits of info around. That suggests they can get low rates. Seems we will start up another power station - that due to finding enough investors to pay for it.

The down side at our end is paying for dividends, debt and their corporation tax. Many CEO's as well. The good thing for them is a nice steady usually growing market and income. Virtual monopoly really but in some areas they are expected to compete. With something like water running costs may well vary according to the area they cover. If national that can be evened out - a bit like Royal Mail - same charge for delivery where ever stuff is being sent. The same could probably be applied to public transport - all of it. There is a right mess of companies running that.

I was curious as to how Germany could quickly provide 9 euro tickets for any use of any public transport for one month. Help with fuel prices. Incomplete info but is seem some rail is privatised but the gov own the company - all of it. Yet they do subsidise transport to some extent. Another way of evening things out perhaps. Providing a half decent service in some rural areas does need some help from somewhere.

 

[ellal]

I was curious as to how Germany could quickly provide 9 euro tickets for any use of any public transport for one month. Help with fuel prices. Incomplete info but is seem some rail is privatised but the gov own the company - all of it. Yet they do subsidise transport to some extent. Another way of evening things out perhaps. Providing a half decent service in some rural areas does need some help from somewhere.

Bloody Germans...

Who'd have thought that they believe that their government serves the people, in total contrast to the UK approach!

'evening up' here means a race to the bottom and vast profits for the 1% !

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Agree totally with number 1

Agree that being run by government may not be the best, but being privately owned for the benefit of shareholders is the worst option

and I agree with #15

 

[ajohn]

There was an AlJ program on water but the same probaly applies to all sorts. It's attracting hedge funds. It's a good investment due to steady growth and a safe market. Profits don't get invested debt is used for that. Sometimes hedge funds are usually associated with other areas. Take a lady that reckoned she had a machine that could do loads of blood tests very easily. Attracted politicians and all sorts. It eventually turned into a scam. Plenty of money went in but not compared with say a nuke station. If it had worked out profits would have been high. That encourages risk which can be worth while or a dead loss.

In some parts of the world water is turning into a commodity. People buying places where it is, even building canals to transport it. They know it will pay at some point or maybe it wont work out. Weird worrying idea though.

A company I worked for passed the comment that they had looked at getting out of Germany but it was too expensive. They actually got a new factory. I looked this up as curious about costs

Making staff redundant

Rules employers must follow when making staff redundant - consultations, notice periods, compulsory and non-compulsory redundancy and redundancy pay

www.gov.uk

Germany: Severance pay/redundancy compensation

Under the Employment Protection Act, an individual employee on permanent contract is entitled to severance pay if the employer indicates in the notice of

www.eurofound.europa.eu

The uk seems to think that all are weekly paid. The change a bit above 40 is interesting. An age some fields wont want so why let them get older and employ them.

 

[securespark]

It seemed like a good idea of Thatcher's to give people a stake in British companies like electricity companies. However, it has backfired spectacularly as foreign, often EU countries, now own our vital utilities. Their priorities are profit - investment and service are way down the list. Hence part of the reason for the malaise we now find ourselves in.

Naturally, a service like public transport, rail, etc should be run as a service - not for profit. Unfortunately this means nationalisation and politicians running things. As we've seen with Doris and co, the quality of politicians has never been lower and shouldn't be trusted to run a bath.

It would appear our train companies are owned or part-owned by EU train companies, so when ours make a profit, it makes their services more affordable. for them.

 

[ajohn]

It would appear our train companies are owned or part-owned by EU train companies, so when ours make a profit, it makes their services more affordable. for them.

I doubt if you will find any factual proof of that. Also the fact that EDF if building power stations doesn't mean they own them.

We may be buying EU trains as we don't appear to make any at all now. actually I went to an auction 20+ years ago at what was probably the last one to close.

 

[fillyboy]

Bloody Germans...

Who'd have thought that they believe that their government serves the people, in total contrast to the UK approach!

Yes, the Russian people.

 

[JohnD]

Anyone in favour of Nationalisation of utilities?​

yes, most of the population.


for example

Support for bringing energy companies back into public ownership

To what extent would you support or oppose bringing energy companies back into public ownership?

yougov.co.uk

 

[JohnD]

I doubt if you will find any factual proof of that.

you don't think any British train companies are owned by foreign train companies?

or do you mean you don't think any foreign train companies are in public ownership?

I have a feeling you have not looked into this.

This is not news

It is a well-known scandal

 

[JohnD]

ClaCe Barr said: ​

"As a French woman, I had to say this video is sadly incomplete. Overlooks the most important part, really. Yes, the bit of money our national (and not privatized yet) rail gets is nice. But it's hardly the most important thing we have to thank you for.

The privatization of British Rail is such a famous fiasco that, when our own government dreams about privatize French national rail, we can point to you and say: "See? That's what will happen if we go this way". Of course, the French political class cares about the common good and average citizens just as much as the British political class does (that is, not at all), but you gave us a mighty argument against them all the same.

Your sacrifice could give us a chance to maybe, possibly, avoid the same fate. And for that, THANK YOU!"

 

[JohnD]

here's one for @ajohn

Should train operating companies be brought back into public ownership?

To what extent would you support or oppose bringing the train operating companies back into public ownership?

yougov.co.uk

again, this is not news.

anyone who takes an interest should be aware of it.

 

[Deleted member 294929]

Nationalise it all. More the better

 

[JohnD]

@andy11 does not have permission to read this.

It will only upset him.

Public ownership is popular

weownit.org.uk

there are too many examples to list. Here are a few.