THREE rousing cheers for Don Smith's letter ("Vindictive Maggie", January 15). Thatcher's policies are the reason for the country's current malaise, since they resulted in total reliance on the global banking system. The majority of our traditional industries were decimated and communities destroyed.
Continuing Don Smith's theme, I would like to make additional comments: I wonder how many people would like to return to the nostalgic days when gas, electricity, water, public transport were all provided by publicly owned industries? There was no "shopping around" for the latest deal, only to find at the end of the contract, prices hiked and you are "on your bike" to find a better deal! Why should the profits of these national assets be split up to benefit comparatively few institutions/shareholders at the expense of the many?
All these privatised utilities should be returned to public ownership, including the railways, which have been so fragmented, with above-inflation price rises. Privatisation has been a blight on our society and a national scandal. These resources should be available directly to the exchequer in order to finance our failing public services and "right the wrongs" of this austerity government. A National Enterprise Bank would be created, which would boost the economy and stimulate entrepreneurial endeavours, allowing greater investment in health/social services, education, police and fire services, prisons, the armed services, social housing, as well as, most importantly, dignity in our old age.
I am sure there are those of us who survived the last war who must remember the sorry state of our nation at the time. It took the 1945 historic reforming Labour government to transform the social conditions of our people. It created the National Health Service and Welfare State. Living standards improved, we staged the 1948 Olympic Games and finally, the Festival of Britain in 1951. This showed the rest of the world that Britain was on the way back. We did it then and we can do it again if the political will is there!
DWS
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