Latest editorial
Tory ministers faced an angry backlash yesterday after it was revealed they have given rail privateer First Great Western (FGW) nearly a quarter of a billion pounds discount on its rail franchise.
FGW will pay just £32.5 million in premiums for the 23 months of the new extension, which lasts until 2015.
The premiums of the last two years of the previous contract amounted to £279m, revealing an astonishing £247m loss of payments to the taxpayer over a similar period under the current deal.
The HS2 debacle exposes what happens when public infrastructure is handed to private contractors – especially when set against China’s state-led high-speed rail success, says CARLOS MARTINEZ
Politicians who continue to welcome contracts with US companies without considering the risks and consequences of total dependency in the years to come are undermining the raison d’etre of the NHS, argues Dr JOHN PUNTIS
