Andy Burnham: I walk the Railway Line

Labour Leadership contender Andy Burnham has promised that he would re-nationalise the railways “line by line” if he becomes PM. Will they ever learn that public ownership never works?

Burnham is attempting to gain some ground from frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn, who has already pledged to do this. This may have a positive effect on Burnham’s campaign to be Labour leader, but could have a negative effect on the Labour party. Re-nationalisation will only add to the belief that Labour is too left-wing. Voters will think “what will they nationalise next?”

Obviously this idea has not gone down well in Conservative circles. A Telegraph poll today has the majority of people answering “No way! He’d be a disaster” to the question “What do you think of Andy Burnham’s leadership challenge”. Good luck winning over those ‘shy Tories’ Andy …

TODAY AT CWF

Dr Spencer Pitfield: Nursing – One of the biggest policy Issues of our time - In June I was elected as a governor onto the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust. The Trust is one of the largest Foundation Trusts across the country employing approximately 16,000 people and turning-over some £1 billion annually.

ACTION TODAY

Look out for those feckless tube drivers who are again on strike. The Underground closes at 6:30pm today and doesn’t reopen till Friday. An interesting article in the Spectator argues ‘Today’s Tube strike is about people vs. technology, not unions and Tories’. Don’t give into these Luddites Boris …

FIVE MUST-READS

1)      Boris on the slide as Osborne soars into the lead to replace Cameron – Sun Nation

2)      Over three quarters of Conservative Party members think we should bomb ISIS in Syria – Conservative Home

3)      Robert Conquest: ‘There is something particularly unpleasant about those who, living in a political democracy, comfortably condone terror elsewhere’ – The Spectator

4)      Airport expansion: Forget Heathrow and Gatwick - only Thames Estuary can give more than a sticking plaster solution to the UK's airport expansion needs – City A.M.

5)      Tube strike union bosses are 'hypocrites', says Chris Grayling – The Telegraph

FROM THE ARCHIVES

On this day, 5^th August, in 1981 Ronald Reagan fired 11,359 striking air traffic controllers who ignored his orders to return to work. Are you reading this Boris?