Voters remember the chaos of nationalisation

SIR – There are plenty of people alive today who remember the Seventies, and the chaos caused by Left-wing politicians and the unions.

Memories of nationalised industries also linger. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, who are hell-bent on renationalisation, are living in cloud cuckoo land. The railways, for example, might not be perfect now, but I can remember British Rail, with its late trains and crumbling infrastructure.

We still have nationalised industries in this country, but are they shining examples? I don’t think so. The BBC is riddled with gender bias and employees who receive extravagant amounts of taxpayers’ money. Then we have the NHS, which, despite brilliant staff, requires a total overhaul.

The Conservative Party will never be forgiven if it does not protect the country from Labour’s Marxist lunacy.

Mick Ferrie

Mawnan Smith, Cornwall

SIR – I heard Mr McDonnell claim that it would not cost the taxpayer anything to nationalise utilities because the profit could be used internally instead of given to shareholders.

The profit is only there because these companies are in the private sector. Return them to government ownership and the profit will very quickly become a cost.

Mr McDonnell also seems to have forgotten that the Government currently receives a large amount of money from these companies in tax.

B S Townsend

Poole, Dorset

SIR – A recent return rail journey from Brighton to Loughborough – a total distance of about 280 miles – cost approximately £90. The last leg of the return journey, from Three Bridges, was by unheated bus.

In France the same fare would have bought 918 miles; in Germany 504; in Poland 2,880; and in Latvia 5,967. Clearly the time has come to renationalise the railways.

Christopher Egerton-Thomas

Hove, East Sussex