The Green Party co-leader said that the railways should be run for "public benefit, not for the huge profits of the rail companies"
As part of the BBC’s general election coverage, the Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay faced a studio audience on a special edition of Question Time this evening (June 28).
During the programme, Ramsay faced questions about the Green Party’s policies on the environment and on transport. In his response, Ramsay made the case for greater investment in public transport, to make rail travel more affordable and for renationalising the railways.
Ramsay said: “It absolutely shouldn’t be the case that’s its more expensive to get the train, often substantially more expensive isn’t it, to get the train within the UK than it is to get a flight. And a flight is several times more environmentally damaging.
“And I think most people want to do the greener option, but the greener option’s got to be the cheaper and more convenient option as well.”
The show’s host Fiona Bruce then asked how the Greens would make public transport more affordable.
Ramsay then send: “At the moment there are huge subsidies for the aviation industry, whilst we have some of the most expensive rail prices in Europe. And so one of the things we would do is to bring the railways back into public ownership, which I think people would really like to see that they are run for public benefit, not for the huge profits of the rail companies.”
Ramsay’s call for renationalising the railways was met with applause from the audience.
Exclusive polling for Left Foot Forward in November 2023 found that 70 per cent of the public support taking the railways back into public ownership.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy of development at Left Foot Forward
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