Again, New Labour's light ideological baggage could not cope with this. When Mr Blair summoned Railtrack executives to Downing Street after one rail crisis, there was genuine bewilderment on both sides. The multi-millionaires from Railtrack were accountable to their shareholders, not Government.Meanwhile, in the Treasury, the senior official who devised the break-up of the railways under the Conservatives was something of a hero to Gordon Brown and his ministerial team. The same official - knighted for his efforts - set to work on dismantling the London Underground. The chaos of the subsequent public-private partnership is an under-reported scandal. Private companies have made small fortunes while parts of the Underground are in crisis. On most days of the week, there is appalling disruption because repairs on lines are not completed in time for the early morning rush hour.
This story will get bigger in the coming months.A more self-confident government would have cited that transport nightmare in 1997 to make a bigger political point: this is what happens when the state steps too far back, spending too little, deregulating and privatising too much. If the Government had acted then, we would be noticing the differences now. Because we all depend on transport, I suspect a range of bold reforms at the beginning would have made a greater impact than the improvements in health and education. Fewer voters rely on schools and hospitals.Still, belatedly, Alistair Darling has chosen to lead the crusade. Mr Darling's predecessor, Steve Byers, who had a great interest in media management, had been fatally successful in making transport a subject that screamed across the front pages. Within minutes of Mr Darling's arrival, the creaking trains, the high fares and the congested roads ceased to be a news story. There were still creaking trains, high fares and congested roads, but Mr Darling had a genius for arousing waves of indifference in the media.Now he is performing an altogether different role He has made the front pages.
More than that, I get the impression Mr Darling is serious and seriously on to something. In The Independent on Sunday at the weekend, he stated that he wanted to stay on in this thorny brief largely because of his commitment to the road pricing proposal. He is daring to take on the motorist partly for the sake of the motorist. Action is required to prevent gridlock in this overcrowded island. Here is a solution.There is also in this idea the hint of a new approach to taxation and public spending.
