Edinburgh Labour MPs Sheila Gilmore and Mark Lazarowicz continued their campaign against the privatisation of East Coast yesterday by speaking to passengers outside Waverley station.
Speaking afterwards Sheila Gilmore said:-‘Passengers recognise the improvements to services that East Coast have made under public ownership over the last four years. They also appreciate that at present, all profits are retained for public benefit, rather than lost to shareholders.’
‘The decision to privatise East Coast puts this at risk and shows that David Cameron and his Ministers put ideology before the needs of passengers and taxpayers.’
Mark Lazarowicz said:-‘East Coast has achieved success under public operation, receiving less subsidy than any of the other 18 private franchises and paying back more to the taxpayer than all but one.’
‘It has done that with no certainty about how long it would continue to remain in public hands. Ministers should now drop their plans for privatisation to give East Coast stability so it can plan for for the future.’
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
