Renationalised rail is just one sign of Britain's slide back to the 1970s

SIR – The gradual renationalisation of Britain's railways (report, May 24) will simply result in more taxpayers' money being wasted.
Last time round, British Rail lost vast sums of money every day. It will be no different now. We can also look forward to more industrial action.
Tim Sayer
Bristol
SIR – We are going back to the bad old days.
Take the 'Great' out of the Government's Great British Railways, and we are simply left with what we had before. It will not work.
Jeremy Clarkson (Magazine, May 24) is right to say that this country has 'fallen off a cliff'.
Jack Marriott
Churt, Surrey
SIR – Northern Rail was nationalised on March 1 2020. It has continued to offer a very poor service to the public. Together with St Helens Council, it started a project to improve the town's Lea Green station. This was supposed to have been completed in 2023, yet some of the new facilities are still not open.
Does anyone really believe that nationalisation is going to improve our railways?
Chris Lewis
Widnes, Cheshire
SIR – It is strange that Sir Keir Starmer, famously the son of a toolmaker who made it to the top of the legal profession, so despises aspiration in others.
Nik Perfitt
Bristol
SIR – Angela Rayner's declaration that she has 'no desire' to lead the Labour Party (telegraph.co.uk, May 25) surely marks the beginning of her leadership bid.
As Sir Keir Starmer becomes increasingly unpopular and detached from the electorate, Ms Rayner will build a hard-Left coalition financed by the trade unions. Sir Keir can expect a brutal coup worthy of the Borgias.
Mike Tickner
Winterbourne Earls, Wiltshire
SIR – Michael Miller (Letters, May 24), addressing the prospect of further tax rises, asserts that they are the 'membership fee to live in a civilised society'. I want my money back.
Jane Moth
Stone, Staffordshire
SIR – I do not think taxing the rich is considered an 'evil', as Michael Miller suggests.
Over-taxing them, however, is simply foolish, because they will leave the country, taking their money with them.
In any case, Britain's wealthy already pay a substantial share of tax revenues. Making the 'pips squeak' is counterproductive.
Rosanne Greaves
Oakham, Rutland

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