ISN'T about time The Conservative Party admitted to the large scale failings of it's privatisation policy and the horrific but hardly surprising long term legacy?

At the beginning of 1980's the UK had a national framework for: -Water supply and treatment of sewage system; A national connected railway; A national energy system; A national post office, and a prison system.

There were, and still are, improvements that can be made to a nationalised industry, but the selling off of these major publicly owned assets is incompetence of the highest order and failure of a duty of care.

The privatised water companies have for decades under-invested whilst building debts in order to pay dividends to shareholders. Now public scrutiny is upon these companies, they wish to increase fees by up to 90 per cent in some regions. Failing that the UK taxpayer will need to step in again to bail the companies out as they refuse to put their own money up! A total scandal.

Individual rail operators have failed and failed again to deliver a reliable and cost effective service requiring the UK tax-payer to step in again to bail out the inept operators. We now have a half-nationalised network rail infrastructure system and some operators run by overseas operators, such as Avanit west coast, who benefit from central government compensations whilst underperforming on a weekly basis. An unworkable hybrid model.

The Post Office has a requirement to provide a universal service across the country, so it was never a genuine option to privatise and now the second class service is to be reduced, while stamps cost £1.35 for 1st class and £0.85 for second class as a minimum. Energy companies privatised and several owned by overseas governments. Other European countries protect their national assets we simply sell them to the highest bidder irrespective of their location or ability to manage such a valuable asset.

Finally, a semi-privatised prison system. This beggars belief surely a government's first priority is to protect its citizens, in particular from convicted criminals, but again the conservatives privatised the prison system and now are asking police and courts to delay sentencing as there are insufficient prison spaces.

Re-nationalising all these utilities would take many years and a too much money. However can we afford to continue watching our key assets as a nation run down to feed dividends for the few who benefit, whilst the majority suffer.

Dr Roy E Harvey

Carleton