Train services all the way from the North of Scotland to Southern England remain badly hit by train strikes, a faulty and deadly rail network, caused by years of neglect and underinvestment under Thatcher and then under Major and Blair.

Blair has the votes of Southern England, the traditional Tory heartland because he and his party are further to the right than Thatcher ever was.

Now Blair admitted last night that rail privatisation has failed. Blair said that rail privatisation would not work "in any way, shape or form".

A BIT LATE!

Tell that to the families of the dead from Hatfield and Paddington train wrecks or the commuters waiting for trains after huge fare hikes.

Condemning the rail strikes, Mr Blair revealed to MPs that in 1997 ministers had "believed it was better at least to give it a chance to work" yet went on to throw doubt on whether that had been the right policy.

i.e. It was a convenient to support privatisation to win the Tory Southern English vote