7 January 2017
Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas will be in Norwich on Thursday 12th January to speak about the future of Britain’s railways. Brighton Pavilion MP Lucas, along with Norwich South MP Clive Lewis, will be addressing a public meeting organised by Norfolk for Nationalisation of Railways (Nor4NOR) at 7pm at Chapelfield Methodist Church.
Norfolk for Nationalisation of Railways (Nor4NOR) members are excited that Ms Lucas accepted their invitation to speak a week ahead of her Railways Bill’s second reading in Parliament. Lucas’s Railways Bill, which would bring the rail network into public ownership as contracts expire, will be debated in Parliament later this month. She argues that public ownership could save £1bn of taxpayers’ money every year as well as leading to lower fares.
Green Party Councillor Lesley Grahame, said
“It’s always inspiring to hear someone as dynamic as Caroline putting forward smart ways to solve problems that other parties keep in their ‘too difficult box’. Around 60% of the British public support renationalisation of railways; it is reasonable to hope that the MPs representing them will support Caroline’s Bill on their behalf.”
Green MP, Caroline Lucas, has re-introduced her Railways Bill to bring the rail network back into public hands.
The Railways Bill is due its Second Reading in Parliament in January. On Thursday, Ms Lucas will be talking about it in Norwich. Caroline’s Bill is to bring the rail network into public ownership, contract by expiring contract. As each rail contract comes up for renewal, it would be taken over nationally, potentially saving taxpayers up to £1 billion a year and leading to lower fares and better services. The Bill, if passed, will require the Secretary of State to assume control of passenger rail franchises as each one comes to an end.
Lucas said “The government’s argument that our railways must be privately operated to be effective is blown open by the RMT figures showing that, in fact, that companies backed by other EU states are controlling many of our railways – depriving taxpayers and rail passengers in the UK of the savings created by state ownership.”
Contact Cllr Lesley Grahame 07711 298214
Notes
(1) Railways Bill 2016/17: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2016-2017/0042/cbill_2016-20170042_en_1.htm
