Rail and Hospital services to mention just a couple.

[Rheghead]

There were two major political parties. Both of them had turns in Government and presided over large scale cuts to the railways.

To say anything else would be a reinvention of the past.

That is a tad disingenuous. There was no political impetus to reform the rail network from Labour during the 1959-1964 period. The groundwork for the Beeching Report was drawn and the closures were implemented well before Labour came to power in 1964. Lines closures came to a peak in 1964 and the rate of closures declined after that when Labour came to power.

[sids]

That is a tad disingenuous. There was no political impetus to reform the rail network from Labour during the 1959-1964 period. The groundwork for the Beeching Report was drawn and the closures were implemented well before Labour came to power in 1964. Lines closures came to a peak in 1964 and the rate of closures declined after that when Labour came to power.

Oh you should have linked to it!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beec...osures_by_year

Year Total length closed
1950 150 miles (240 km)
1951 275 miles (443 km)
1952 300 miles (480 km)
1953 275 miles (443 km)
1954 to 1957 500 miles (800 km)
1958 150 miles (240 km)
1959 350 miles (560 km)
1960 175 miles (282 km)
1961 150 miles (240 km)
1962 780 miles (1,260 km)
Beeching report published
1963 324 miles (521 km)
1964 1,058 miles (1,703 km)
1965 600 miles (970 km)
1966 750 miles (1,210 km)
1967 300 miles (480 km)
1968 400 miles (640 km)
1969 250 miles (400 km)
1970 275 miles (443 km)
1971 23 miles (37 km)
1972 50 miles (80 km)
1973 35 miles (56 km)


There were enormous cuts during Labour's 1964-on tenure.

Were there any reopenings, or did Harold Wilson adopt the Conservatives' baby?

[Shaggy]

Edinburgh to Bathgate line was reopened, the borders line was reopened.....many more are under consideration

[sids]

Reopening railways must be the Tories' new baby.

[Rheghead]

Oh you should have linked to it!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beec...osures_by_year

Year Total length closed
1950 150 miles (240 km)
1951 275 miles (443 km)
1952 300 miles (480 km)
1953 275 miles (443 km)
1954 to 1957 500 miles (800 km)
1958 150 miles (240 km)
1959 350 miles (560 km)
1960 175 miles (282 km)
1961 150 miles (240 km)
1962 780 miles (1,260 km)
Beeching report published
1963 324 miles (521 km)
1964 1,058 miles (1,703 km)
1965 600 miles (970 km)
1966 750 miles (1,210 km)
1967 300 miles (480 km)
1968 400 miles (640 km)
1969 250 miles (400 km)
1970 275 miles (443 km)
1971 23 miles (37 km)
1972 50 miles (80 km)
1973 35 miles (56 km)


There were enormous cuts during Labour's 1964-on tenure.

Were there any reopenings, or did Harold Wilson adopt the Conservatives' baby?

There are only 5 closures under Labour.

[onespace]

There are only 5 closures under Labour.

Labour government shut down around 3,000 miles of railway lines. That's a lot of railway in such a small island as ours no matter how you look at it.

[Rheghead]

Labour government shut down around 3,000 miles of railway lines. That's a lot of railway in such a small island as ours no matter how you look at it.

And it never would have happened if the tories hadn't had an ideological compulsion about closing down things that have more value than what can be explained in terms of profit.

[onespace]

But there was absolutely nothing to stop Wilson's Labour government of 1964 pulling the plug on any further line closures. They must have had the same Tory ideology then if they continued to close another 3,000 miles of track over the next 5-6 years.

[crayola]

It has been suggested to me privately that onespace is in fact our MP! Now although I do not believe that accusation it does bring forth an element of amusement. And anyway he makes good points about the 1960s Labour government that we should keep in mind when the ignore list committee next meets. My opinion is that he shall survive without banishment. Although the jury is still out in the pub on that issue.