Just a rant

I have been crocheting like a madwoman lately, in preparation for the stall I have booked. This morning I woke up and sat in my chair to continue with crocheting some hats while listening to the Today programme on Radio 4. I listen to Radio 4 pretty much constantly, and although I think John Humphries has become a caricature of his former self, and I sometimes avoid the news in the morning if I want to have a happy day, I still rate the programming as superior to the networks I grew up with in America.

But this morning was one of those mornings when I just shook my head in disbelief and got a bit more opinionated with every news story. So my opinions are coming out...

Firstly, there was a news story about Network Rail. Apparently their profits are up by about 10 %, while their efficiency is down by about the same. They are 'slimming down' and 'devolving' some areas of the running of the network, but the spokesmen was adamant that they are not being broken up. The 'slimming down' is because of a report which says that rail costs in Britain are about 30% more than they have to be, and regularly more than our European counterparts. When asked by the reporter if the problems were because of the separation of train companies and network companies, he dodged answering successfully...while I sat there thinking, "Of course it bloody is!"

Then came yet another story on the proposed changes to the NHS. Andrew Lansley and the Conservatives want to make significant changes to the NHS. One of the phrases we keep hearing is 'Increasing competition in order to improve services to patients." Of course, I do think that there could be some changes to the NHS that would increase efficiency and patient care, but these are not them. As GPs keep pointing out, if you allow them to contract private health care providers, then those private companies are going to opt for providing the most common and cost effective treatments. The 'cherry-picking' that we keep hearing about in the news. That is the business model.  That is how profit is made, and why shops selling jeans have lots of pairs with 32 and 34 inch waists, but fewer pairs (if any) that fit if you are a 26 or 44. It is supply and demand and pretty bloody basic. So why don't the Tories understand that?

But then I was angered that no connection was made between these two stories. National Rail was privatised by the last Conservative government, in order to "increase competition and improve services to travellers." my quotes Breaking things up in order that several private companies can attempt to generate profit by providing services is madness. Services are services and should not be run on any business model. Network Rail are struggling, (although not financially) rail companies have done away with services to remote areas that cannot generate profit and travellers are being left stranded. Even booking tickets is mad because there are 20 options. It can cost you £100 to get to London from Manchester. Myself and friends have shown up at railway stations with tickets for trains that don't exist!  What happens when these things are happening when people's health and lives are at risk? Competition does not improve services!

Then I log onto Yahoo to see a story about the privatisation of the Royal Mail.  (I missed yesterday's You and Yours which had an piece about it so must go and listen to that.) But all I can feel, again, is that the business model is the wrong model for the Royal Mail.

It seems to me that their are certain services that are necessary for a population to be productive and efficient and for things to run smoothly. These are 1) an efficient and integrated transport system, 2) an efficient and regular postal service 3) and an efficient and anti-discriminatory health service. 

All of these things run better when they do not run at full capacity,(which is necessary for maximum profit) and workers are not stressed, and resources are available to deal with emergencies, and employees can trust their managers to make decisions on what is best for them and their 'customer' rather than what is best for their shareholders.People need to be able to travel, to get to work, to visit family, to live their live. People need to communicate and be able to receive and send goods. People need to be healthy, and to be treated with respect within all of these area.

Any society (even the Prime Minister's Big Society) needs these services to be run by itself and managed by itself in order for it to be of service to itself. How simple is that?