If ASLEF and TSSA disaffiliated from Labour, the party would have less to lose. Much as the voting public is overwhelmingly against privatisation, the railways rarely rank in the top issues on which voters make up their minds.
Yet even if GB Rail makes it into the next Labour manifesto, if Labour wins office it is still far from guaranteed that it would be implemented. On this subject, McDonald doesn’t hold back.
“I expect an almighty war. There are vested interests here that will more than dig their heels in, they will seek to undermine and prevent it. So, we have to be realistic about the opposition that we’ll face. I rather think the taking of the railways into public ownership will be a huge task in the perspective of the resistance we will get, but that’s what government’s about. If we’re going to transform things for the better, then these are the bold decisions that we’ve got to make.”
Whether Keir Starmer feels the same way is less than clear. But should he abandon the central principle of public operation, both his unions and his shadow transport secretary would be unlikely to tolerate it. ■
