Tories won't re-privatise railways, leaked audio reveals
In a recording obtained by The Telegraph, Gareth Bacon told Tory activists that taking passenger trains back into private control was unlikely to be popular with voters by the time of the next general election.
South Western Railway entered full state control last weekend after 29 years but engineering works meant passengers needed to board a rail replacement bus for part of its first service.
Labour plans to bring all passenger trains into public ownership over the next three years under its flagship Great British Rail (GBR) scheme.
Asked about his party's policy on the railways during an event for party members on May 19, Mr Bacon replied: 'If I'm asked today to say what is likely to be our policy of going into the election in four years' time, it very much depends on how GBR is operating at that time.
'I suspect it won't be going as well as what you might like and one of the things I think we'll certainly be looking to do is looking at how we can make that work better.
'Taking a punt today, am I likely to be recommending that we re-privatise the railway in our next manifesto? I would say probably not, because I don't think it would have been bedded in enough at that time for the public to think that that was a good idea.
'But I do remain open-minded to it, and it depends on how GBR is operating closer to the time.'
Tories would offer 'radical' alternative
On Tuesday, the Tories attacked Labour's nationalisation plan and suggested they would offer a 'radical' and 'accountable' alternative.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: 'Nationalisation only serves the unions that bankroll the Labour Party.
'Under new leadership, the Conservative Party is undertaking a radical policy renewal programme, one that will stand up for the needs of passengers and fight for a system that is efficient, accountable, and built to serve Britain.'
Mr Bacon last week accused Labour of 'taking us back to the 1970s' as those travelling beyond Surbiton on the first nationalised service had to change onto a rail replacement bus.
At the same event, he also said it was unlikely that his party would be able to cut the price of rail travel if it returned to power in the future.
Asked how the Tories could work to reduce railway fares for the consumer, he said: 'I don't think that is a likely proposition and the reason for that is that inflation doesn't go backwards.
'And I'm afraid that the costs of rail maintenance will constantly go up.'
Train drivers received a 15 per cent pay rise from the Labour Government last year, a deal that meant some are receiving payments of up to £600 to work weekend overtime shifts.
It represented an olive branch to the unions and brought an end to rail strikes that had been taking place since 2022 at an estimated cost of £850 million to the taxpayer.
Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, said at the end of last year that the double-digit pay rise for train drivers had made delays and cancellations worse.
Mr Bacon's comments come after Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, launched her policy renewal programme in March which aims to rebuild her party's electoral fortunes.
The scheme will include a number of policy commissions aimed at drawing up more specific pledges in the coming months and years.
Mrs Badenoch's time as leader to date has been overshadowed by the ongoing rise of Reform UK, which has outperformed the Tories in the polls for several months.
The success of Reform has prompted internal criticism of Mrs Badenoch from those who believe that she must be more visible and announce a greater number of detailed policies.
But the Tory leader has insisted it will take time to rebuild after her party suffered a historic drubbing at last year's general election.
In her first major speech, Mrs Badenoch apologised for her party's record on immigration and vowed to take sweeping measures to significantly reduce numbers.
She has since declared her opposition to the legally binding 2050 net zero target signed into law by Baroness May, the former Tory prime minister, and backed by all of her predecessors.
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