'Voters will not forgive Government if they go ahead with act of mass vandalism'

31 August 2023 , 21:13

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This week's protest against ticket office closures (Image: Philip Coburn /Daily Mirror)

The Conservatives will ignore at their peril the outpouring of public anger at plans to close hundreds of train ticket offices.

At next year’s election, voters will not forgive the Government if they allow this act of mass vandalism to go ahead. They understand the important role ticket office staff play in helping passengers navigate their journeys and supporting frail and disabled customers. If the closures go ahead thousands of jobs will go and another part of the glue that binds our society will be weakened.

So far more than 500,000 people have made their views clear. We urge you to join their number before the consultation ends today. This is your opportunity to stand up against greedy rail bosses and send a clear message to the Government that it will pay a heavy price at the ballot box if it fails to halt the cuts.

Students failed

The Government was first alerted to the dangerous state of school buildings in England more than five years ago. Ministers were warned that lives could be put at risk unless they addressed the problems caused by lightweight concrete. Only yesterday did the Department of Education finally take action by announcing immediate closures at more than one hundred schools, nurseries and colleges.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has failed pupils and parents by ordering this mass evacuation just a few days before the new term. The Conservatives claim they value education but they have starved schools of funds, failed to recruit enough teachers and overseen an £11billion backlog in building repairs. The state of the crumbling school estate stands as a symbol of how the Tories have run down this country.

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