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After 14 years of Tory chaos, the new Labour Government has inherited one of the worst economic situations in decades.
Across the board, the Tories left behind a shameful record of damage, dereliction and decline.
We have inherited an economy that isn’t working for ordinary people in Wakefield and Rothwell, with a £22 billion black hole that must be tackled urgently to prevent a return to the financial turmoil we last suffered under the catastrophic Tory mini budget.
That is why Britain voted so decisively for change and economic stability on 4th July.
Under Keir Starmer’s leadership this Labour Government is laser-focused on rebuilding Britain and getting our country moving again.
The desperate state of our railways is a perfect example of this. It was once the envy of the world, but now our railways are now in crisis, leaving working people suffering with delays, cancellations and overcrowded services.
Passengers have had enough. The Tories have failed our railways, and failed us.
All too often, people tell me about the constant delays and overcrowding. With record cancellations – this is the legacy of Tory Britain.
I am proud that this new Labour Government is already taking steps to deliver on one of its key priorities: bringing Britain’s railways back into public control.
Earlier this month, MPs passed the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill.
It’s the first step in our plan to bring an end to the disastrous experiment of privatised rail, once and for all.
In its place, Labour will build a railway fit for the 21st Century Britain that we are creating, which puts working people first and gets Britain growing again.
With Great British Railways, we will give passengers a railway they can rely on and turn the page on the creaking, unreliable services of the past.
Bringing railways back under public control will also save taxpayers tens of millions of pounds as we will no longer have to pay out millions to private operators to run our services.
A publicly owned railway will serve the interests of passengers – not private shareholders.
With a joined-up rail network under Great British Railways, work will begin immediately to modernise our railways.
We will simplify and reform ticketing making it easier for passengers, as well bring urgent improvement to freight services giving businesses the certainty to invest.
As passengers, we have known for years that privatised rail had failed, yet the Tories refused to admit it.
We won’t let that happen again.
This Labour Government under Keir Starmer is a government of service not ideology, giving people the public services we can rely on.
Unlike the Conservatives we won’t lose sight of what we were elected to do, no matter how difficult the choices and challenges are. We will build an economy that works for everyone and takes Britain forward.
This Labour Government has a plan to fix Britain’s railways – and will put them at the heart of driving growth, boosting prosperity, and rebuilding Britain.