'Tories hiking rail fares is kick in teeth to hardworking Brits being fleeced by firms' - The Mirror

With travel fares to rise by almost 6% from March rail passengers are right to ask government bosses why they are footing the bill for their privatisation failures

Long-suffering rail passengers have been given yet another kick in the teeth.

Already condemned to frequent delays and cancellations, they have now been told they must pay even more for this shoddy service.

Clueless Transport Secretary Mark Harper has allowed fares to rise by almost 6% from March.

As the Tory-made cost of living crisis bites ever harder, the Government should be trying to ease financial burdens, not increase them.

Travellers will rightly ask why they must shoulder the cost of privatisation failures.

Labour analysis found the average commuter will now pay £3,466 for a season ticket – 58% more than when the Tories took power.

To add insult to injury, Avanti West Coast has been handed a multi-million pound taxpayer-funded bonus despite being the worst-performing operator for delays.

Customers are being fleeced while private firms are being rewarded for failure.

The sooner the railways are back in public ownership the better.

Rotten regime

Rishi Sunak vowed to restore integrity and accountability to a political system trashed by Boris Johnson.

But instead of cleaning out the stables, the PM has chosen to continue with the same rotten regime used by his predecessor.

Only on Thursday – eight weeks after taking office – did he finally appoint an ethics adviser.

Just as before, this adviser will not have the power to launch independent inquiries or decide the fate of anyone guilty of wrongdoing.

If we want to restore trust in politics there has to be a fully independent watchdog.

Mr Sunak’s refusal to appoint one only suggests he has something to hide.

A Nice gesture

Hilary Manester has left out biscuits for the bin men for the last 50 years.

This Christmas we should all take a leaf out of her book and leave at least a few crumbs of comfort for our posties and refuse collectors.