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ES Views: We must learn lessons of Carillion going to the wall

Taxpayers are facing a bill totalling £199 billion for schemes under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), a watchdog has warned: EPA
Taxpayers are facing a bill totalling £199 billion for schemes under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), a watchdog has warned: EPA

The headline of your lead letter on Tuesday accurately points out that “we will all pay the price for Carillion going under”. You fail to point out, however, that we’ve been paying the price of Carillion for all the years before the various warnings about it “going under” were even brought to the Government’s attention.

In addition to paying for the cost of providing key public services, we have been forced to finance the astronomical cost of its executives, as well as continually subsidising its private shareholders.

Real structural change is now overdue. Carillion must not be replaced by the likes of Serco, Capita or G4S but by a form of governance which is genuinely accountable to the people as a whole.
Francis Prideaux


​Carillion’s collapse has left a trail of destruction in its wake, with small- and medium-sized firms now uncertain about their future, potentially leaving thousands of people without a job.

Politicians ignored the warning signs for months and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn rightly attacked the Government’s policies, calling Carillion a “watershed moment”. Some of these warnings were profit warnings, which are meant to act as red flags. So was the Government sleeping on the job?

Over the past 40 years successive governments have had a close relationship with such firms. It is time more services were brought back under public control, and for governments to not pick up the tab when such companies go bust.
Ged Dempsey

There can be little doubt that with all the other recent stories of public/private partnership disasters the dreadful Carillion episode will see the end of the highly dubious private finance initiative experiment.

Quite unintentionally, no doubt, the directors of this large company will have helped in a process that Jeremy Corbyn has recognised — a Left-leaning movement of the political centre.

Many events have conspired to show that the days of the neoliberal era are numbered and that public enthusiasm for it — if there ever was any — has evaporated.
The Rev Andrew McLuskey

Jeremy Corbyn says the failure of Carillion is a “watershed moment”. Like many, I am no supporter of him but believe he is on to something here.

Let’s consider the £660,000 salary of Carillion’s former chief executive, Richard Howson. Have we become blind to the moral scandal that anyone could think it’s right and proper to renumerate quite so obscenely? It’s time we all woke up to this cynical, broken model of business.
Michael Barry


Jail acid attackers for a full life term

The acid attacks causing disfigurement and life-changing injuries to victims are an abomination. The perpetrators should be given the maximum penalty of life in prison. Society needs to send a message that these horrific crimes are viewed on the same level as murder and deserving of the same punishment.

The victims have suffered enough with the after-effects from these acid attacks and they do not deserve the additional psychological burden of knowing that at some date in the future the person who inflicted these injuries on them will be free to walk the streets.

Life in prison is a just sentence for any of these monsters found guilty by the courts.
Christian Haerle


Go to Bayeaux, don't bring tapestry here

As the author of the novel 1066 The Conquest, which describes the life of the Duke of Normandy leading up to the Battle of Hastings, based on the events depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, I’m not sure moving it is a good idea.

I am already dubious over the business of temporary exhibitions which require transporting major works of art around the world, with all the risks it brings. The size and delicate fabric makes packaging and transporting the tapestry extremely difficult.

Bayeux is not far, and easy to reach, so why move it across the Channel?
Peter Fieldman


Our club helps the local community

Martin Ball’s complaint that Spurs football club doesn’t contribute to the Tottenham area couldn’t be further from the truth [Letters, January 16]. Its new stadium will generate more revenue and is part of a plan to greatly improve transport and housing provision.

Spurs has made a real commitment to the area, taking a leading role in the post-riots planning by building a school and establishing projects to help young people into employment.
Steve Davies


Bus warnings help us to travel safely

May I suggest that both Simon Molloy [Letters, January 16] and Susannah Butter [Notebook, January 16] use earmuffs on London buses if they are annoyed by Transport for London’s announcements?

As someone who struggles to get on buses, to place my card on the reader and to find something to hold on to before the bus moves, I very much welcome this TFL safety initiative.
A Bhat


Susannah Butter asks: “Are we such unobservant snowflakes that we now need a trigger warning that the bus is in motion?” She is asking the wrong question. Why don’t bus drivers use their mirrors to check that anyone who appears to be unsteady on their feet is safely seated before pulling way? If they all did, TFL wouldn’t annoy Ms Butter or other “snowflakes”.
Beryl Wall


We travelled on two London buses on Monday, each of which gave us a lurching and uncomfortable ride. The announcements on each bus were in no way appropriately timed and happened as we were already hurtling to the next stop.

As 73-year-olds we have to hold on even when seated. On the odd occasion when the driver gives us a comfortable ride, we endeavour to thank them.
Carolyn and David Starr


Southeastern is just as woeful as ever

It has been more than two weeks since the refurbished London Bridge Station reopened (and fares rose by 3.4 per cent). However, there has been no discernible improvement whatsoever in Southeastern’s long-term, lamentable record of delayed, cancelled or overcrowded trains and cryptic Tannoy “explanations”.

The scenes on the Orpington branch, with hundreds of passengers carried beyond their destination stations, were farcical. From a PR perspective, Southeastern is fortunate indeed that its day-to-day mishaps are overshadowed by the even bigger mess on Southern services.

The Government must do the right thing and intervene decisively in the public interest.
Robert Clark