Author: Harpreet Uppal

Almost four decades ago, Margaret Thatcher’s government boldly predicted that privatising Britain’s bus sector would lead to “lower fares, new services, and more passengers”, while removing “any potential future liability on the taxpayer”.  Well, we all know what happened next….

As a public transport user, I know that our bus and rail services don’t work for the people and communities they purport to serve.

A privatised system with only a handful of companies running routes and setting fares has led to rising ticket prices without the reliability to go with it. In addition, this Tory Government haven’t supported our bus and rail workers, many of whom worked through the pandemic and are now having to fight for decent wages. Yet Johnson and his gang have had no qualms about lifting the cap on city bonuses.

Simply put the system does not work. London’s relatively well-run and highly regulated system is, in fact, an outlier in Britain. Here in Huddersfield and in many parts of the North we have been let down by successive governments.

When I worked on Andy Burnham’s mayoral campaign in 2017, I helped write his manifesto and developed key policies such as bringing buses under public control – policies that are now being implemented. Here in West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin also has a strong focus on improving bus services and is already making progress. As a Councillor and member of the West Yorkshire Economy Scrutiny Panel I have advocated for publicly owned bus and rail services.

I will bring my experience to work with Labour colleagues to deliver a system with cheaper fares that are more reliable. I will work closely with the Mayor of West Yorkshire, our local councils and trade unions to ensure we have the right change that works for us.

Most importantly, I will fight with you for publicly controlled services so our communities are no longer cut off or disconnected. I will work to legislate minimum service levels, overturn the ban on municipal bus companies and throw financial and political support behind public control of our bus and rail services because we know it will work for us and not shareholders.

My late mum was a home care worker for over 18 years here in Huddersfield. She loved her job because she made a difference in the lives of the people she cared for. However, like the many women who work in the sector, their roles aren’t valued and they are expected to do more with less.

My mum worked directly as a care worker for Kirklees Council. She received strong support from her union, Unison, and had regular hours and wages, receiving training and qualifications (all under a Labour government). Now the sector has sadly seen a denigration in work patterns and conditions.  This means less time spent with the individuals they care for, travel expenses that aren’t covered properly and pay levels which are frankly shameful.

Nationally, governments have failed to tackle the problems of a fragmented care system which does little to support the people at the centre of it as local authorities face dwindling budgets and increased pressures. I was delighted to read this week that Labour are introducing plans for a National Care Service. Under the proposal backed by Unison, the Fabian Society will review how a care service could be structured and funded. Following the review, recommendations will be made to the Labour party policy review and to the Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary.

We need to see a national care service delivered on the same terms as the NHS; publicly owned, publicly funded and free at the point of use. We need to make sure we have national standards for care users and better pay and conditions for staff who work in the sector.

When my mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour, she became the person we cared for with her former colleagues providing additional support to our family. We saw the kindness these women brought not only to our mum but to our whole family. But we also saw a system that needed fixing. I was so proud of the work my mum did and the difference she made.

This fight is personal and I can promise you that I will always strive for a system that works for all of us.