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Labour under pressure to commit

LABOUR is under renewed pressure to renationalise the whole of Britain’s rail network after polling revealed peeved-off passengers are in no mood for half measures. 

Results of a Survation poll of 1,046 people revealed today show 40 per cent want to see every line run by a public-sector operator. 

Another 23 per cent of people want to see some lines back in public hands, while just 17 per cent are prepared to see privatisation continue. 

The poll was commissioned by the We Own It campaign for public ownership after shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher last month described privatisation as “a mess.”

But We Own It director Cat Hobbs said the results show Labour should go further than its pledge to create a “level playing field” for the public sector. 

“Passengers are frustrated with sky-high fares and crushed carriages, and many feel that a halfway house option just isn’t good enough,” she said. 

“Full public ownership would deliver real benefits to everyone, and after the success of the publicly run East Coast line, we know it can work.”

Labour-affiliated rail union Aslef last night staged a question time event with two MPs to discuss whether rail renationalisation is a vote winner. 

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “At a time when families are struggling to make ends meet, and the government talks of value for money, delivering a different model that could cut fares makes sense not only for the passenger but for the taxpayer. “Let’s ease the burden on everyone now by doing what the public are demanding.”

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