Will we never learn

Since the 1970s we have been selling off pieces of the country bit by bit, and now it is starting to fall apart.

We should have learned once and for all from the recent rail tragedies that private firms are willing to take risks with our safety to ensure profit.

A business needs to run on solid economic principles.

But safety is not economic -- as we can see in the case of the railways, it has taken £5 billion pounds to make the track safe in the space of a few weeks.

But does this money come out of the rail companies profit-laden pockets? No, it comes straight from the tax payer. And will we all get a share of the dividends? I doubt it. When will we realise that you cannot run public services like businesses.

Instead of selling off our country on the cheap to profit hungry private firms we should invest in it ourselves and then reap what we sow.

Gerry Wainwright,

Blackpool Road,

Preston.