So it comes to pass that Ken of this parish has managed to get his own way in the end. The official Labour Mayor of London has triumphed over the Labour Government.
Ken never wanted the PFI deal for the underground network. in his defence he threw millions, hundreds of millions (Other People's Money of course, taxpayers OPM) actually in the way of Gordon Brown's Treasury team. Oh what joy this brought to the poor families of the lawyers and consultants of London.
Now thought Metronet is certain to enter administration. From which it will not likely recover as its backers have had enough and are giving the keys back; A sad end for their shareholders too.
So who has one out of this PFI mess? Repairs have been completed in London, but are behind what was a heroic schedule. More money will be spent on a new group to take-over and now TFL will inherit more control over the network.
This may be a welcome development to many, but the cost to administer this mess is well over £1 billion.
Also key questions remain unanswered, Iain points out how much Mr Brown has to explain of his role. Why does PFI seem to do such a bad job at delivering services?
It seems to me that socialists are incapable of making rational choices and instead seek to complicate and regulate to such an extent that creativity is driven from any process. Profit too is so hated that they try to eradicate any potential. In doing this an unsustainable administrative burden is created, on purpose by the likes of Ken.
Many of the Conservative outright privatisations worked, look at BT and British Airways for example. Even the much derided water companies are doing a better job than the state managed too. Yet the railways were a disaster, even worse than British Rail, that have cost taxpayers more money (£20 billion and counting for Railtrack and its descendants) and this latest tube fiasco adds to that.
Would the railways be better is state hands? Or is it just terrible execution of the privatisation plan as Wat Tyler says?
My gut feeling tells me it is the latter. An example in today's Telegraph speaks volumes. Metronet was required to repaint Lancaster gate grey 3 times by TFL; socialist sabotage by the Newt King.
