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our 'privatised' transport network is run by the dutch, french and german government agencies (DB, Abelio, RATP etc..), who use eu 'competition' laws to keep them in place. Temporary regulation from westminster is required in this instance, and regulations imposed by westminster will never surpass the labyrinthine maze of eu regulations and directives. Future westminster regulation in this sphere, no matter how much it appears to be 'nationalisation' would be a step down in regulation from the status quo in the eu
mouldy-wart-
Yes, apologies for being unclear there. When I was talking about the road transport network and infrastructure that supports and protects cyclists, I was refering to the public roads that we travel on and the introduction of segregated cycle lanes. DB, Abelio, RATP etc aren't involved in those above stakeholder level. This isn't about nationalisation but about making changes to the manner in which we develop those public roads. We're directly asking for an increase in policy and bureacracy that will direct planning and implementation which is contrary to the ideals of small government and in no way will be a "step down" from EU regulation. Perhaps ironically, current practices of other member states of the EU are cited as best practice and models on which we would like British policy and bureacracy to be based.
So to repeat, are we wrong to want this and, if so, why?
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"who use eu 'competition' laws to keep them in place."
This crap started long before the EU. And it may not stop there, if the UK bends over to something like TTIP or CETA (Canada) it will be worse.
Is there sometimes too much and inflexible EU regulation? Yes! Fishing and quota are some of them.
But outsourcing and off-selling started decades ago and the French happily ignore some of this (they saved some industry even though it's against EU rules)
The_Seldom_Killer
JWestland
Please accept my most sincere apologies, I didn't realise I couldn't critique a debating practice if I'm not in the Oxford Union. I shall bear that in mind for future reference.
I'm interested in your theory that small government is a good thing though. For instance, there is a strong amount of support on this forum for government intervention in current transport practices. Particularly there's interest in the government adopting a policy of regulation around the development of the road transport network to incorporate infrastructure that supports and protects cyclists. Are we wrong to want that form of bureacratic intervention in society and if so, why?