There are two clear lessons from Aditya Chakrabortty’s survey of the battlefield upon which the Southern Rail dispute is playing out (This is a story of rail failure. But the real agenda is to crush the unions, 19 July). First, in order to overcome the problem of capacity shortages, Britain needs to move to double-decker trains. They work on the continent and they should work here.
A second, broader lesson, is that the country must now decide on how big a role our transport system should play in maintaining a decent number of secure jobs paying family wages. It is on this front that the unions should be fighting, rather than the spurious grounds of passenger safety. Either company profits or consumers need to cover the costs of family wages.
Theresa May has already given welcome assurances of her intention to tackle excessive pay at the top, but we cannot have a contented society unless the economy produces family wages at the bottom. And with the growth of family wages, the country begins to lay the foundations for a secure nurturing of children. This will require a significant investment programme by the new government, involving a planned programme of sinking lines and raising the height of bridges. This investment strategy must also be linked to a skills acquisition policy, so that youngsters can begin earning decent wage packets.
The Brexit vote was largely driven by people who have felt quite rightly that they have lost out from globalisation. The new government must now decide whether it is willing to initiate a major investment programme where it is needed, to reassure this group that a new era has commenced – that the British dream is alive and kicking.
Frank Field MP
Labour, Birkenhead
• Claire Perry has taken some time to admit she “was ashamed to be rail minister” (Report, 16 July). She should have done so in 2015 when she demonstrated her ignorance of the rail industry by welcoming Virgin taking over the East Coast route and saying: “There will be … customer offers … Nectar points … when is the last time that you heard of good old British Rail offering any kind of passenger incentives?” She was clearly unaware of the excellent customer rewards scheme offered by the publicly run East Coast Railway that was far superior to anything that Virgin offers.
Ian Arnott
Peterborough
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