- "Support"
- Supports public ownership.
- 🧐
- Mixed support.
- No support
- Opposes public ownership.
- Unknown
- Unknown support.
NHS: 🧐 mixed
Labour’s 2024 manifesto promised the NHS would always be publicly owned and funded. However the government is planning a new Private Finance Initiative style deal for Neighbourhood Health Centres and is outsourcing services and technology instead of expanding NHS capacity. Health Secretary Wes Streeting is 60%+ funded by private healthcare donors and has said he “won’t shrink from opening the NHS” to the private sector.
Water: private
The government has repeatedly said it will not nationalise water and banned the recent Cunliffe water review from considering public ownership.
Rail: public
The government is bringing all rail franchises into public ownership. Caveat: The rolling stock is still privatised so we are demanding that they set up a publicly owned company to own the trains, and end competition law on the railway.
The Welsh Labour government took the Wales and Border rail franchise into public ownership in 2021.
Energy: 🧐 mixed
The government set up Great British Energy as a generation company in public ownership but with a small budget and no retail wing. Most of the energy grid is staying privatised.
Buses: public
The government is scrapping the ban on new publicly owned bus companies and making it easier for local authorities to regulate buses after decisions to take buses into public control by mayors in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire following our campaigning. Caveat: The government could make public control and ownership easier with funding pots for local authorities.
The Welsh Labour government is in the process of introducing bus franchising.
Royal Mail: private
The Labour government approved the sell off of Royal Mail to Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský.
NHS: private
The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition introduced the 2012 legislation, which paved the way for greater privatisation in the NHS. From 2012-13 to 2020-21 NHS trust spend on outsourcing to independent sector providers (ISPs) increased nearly seven-fold, from over £220 million to £1.7 billion. From 2012-2024, the NHS lost £10 million a week due to private profits.
Water: private
Conservatives support continued privatisation of water.
Rail: private
The Conservative government was forced to bring rail franchises into public ownership after private failure but Conservatives still support “competition” and private companies on the railway.
Energy: 🧐 mixed
The Conservative government mostly supported ongoing privatisation. However it also set in motion the plan to bring part of National Grid into public ownership, creating NESO to enable Net Zero planning. Private shareholders received £630 million in compensation.
Buses: private
Conservatives support continued privatisation and deregulation of buses.
Royal Mail: private
The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition sold off our Royal Mail in 2013-15.
NHS: private
Nigel Farage has suggested a model where different insurance companies compete and said he’s open to a “French-style insurance model”. This would require patients to pay for treatment up-front and then reclaim from a combination of the state and private insurance policies. Reform’s 2024 manifesto talks about harnessing private companies and tax relief on private healthcare.
Water: public
Reform wants 50% public ownership and 50% UK pension funds ownership of our water and called to end foreign ownership of utilities. Caveat: pension funds ownership is not full public ownership.
Rail: public
Reform wants 50% public ownership and 50% UK pension funds ownership of critical national infrastructure and seems to include rail in this category. Caveat: pension funds ownership is not full public ownership.
Energy: public
Reform wants 50% public ownership and 50% UK pension funds ownership of our energy and called to end foreign ownership of utilities. Caveat: pension funds ownership is not full public ownership.
Buses: ❓ unkown
No mention of Buses in Reform’s manifesto. The party might see them as “critical national infrastructure” but it has not confirmed either way.
Royal Mail: ❓ unkown
No mention of Royal Mail in Reform’s manifesto. The party might see it as “critical national infrastructure” but it has not confirmed either way.
NHS: private
The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition introduced the 2012 legislation, which paved the way for greater privatisation in the NHS. From 2012-13 to 2020-21 NHS trust spend on outsourcing to independent sector providers (ISPs) increased nearly seven-fold, from over £220 million to £1.7 billion. From 2012-2024, the NHS lost £10 million a week due to private profits.
Water: 🧐 mixed
Liberal Democrats want to transform water companies into public benefit companies. Caveat: shareholders would still make a profit under this model but it would be “reasonable”. There would be a legal requirement to pursue environmental goals and environmental experts would have a seat on the board. It’s unclear how this model would provide accountability to households and workers.
Rail: private
The 2024 Liberal Democrat manifesto said the party was planning on keeping rail franchises in private hands.
Energy: ❓ unknown
Liberal Democrats say their public benefit company model should apply to “monopoly utility companies” which would suggest they want to reduce profits and increase accountability in the energy transmission and distribution networks. This has not been confirmed.
Buses: 🧐 mixed
The Liberal Democrat’s 2024 manifesto included boosting buses by giving local authorities “more powers to franchise services” but it didn’t mention lifting the ban on new publicly owned bus companies.
Royal Mail: private
The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition sold off our Royal Mail in 2013-15.
NHS: public
The Green Party’s 2024 manifesto said the party is against NHS privatisation. It is “committed to a fully public health service and to keeping the profit motive well away from our NHS”.
Water: public
The Greens want to bring water companies into public ownership. In their 2024 manifesto they state, "The Green Party is committed to the public ownership of public services, so they are run to serve us all, rather than to increase the wealth of shareholders."
Rail: public
The Greens want to bring the railways into public ownership. In their 2024 manifesto they state, "The Green Party is committed to the public ownership of public services, so they are run to serve us all, rather than to increase the wealth of shareholders."
Energy: public
The Green Party’s 2024 manifesto supports “bringing the Big 5 retail energy companies into public ownership.” Caveat: The Greens do not mention energy transmission and distribution networks here, or the need for a well funded publicly owned renewable generation company. However, the party supports public ownership for public services and rejects privatisation in general.
Buses: public
The Green Party’s 2024 manifesto promised to “give local authorities control over and funding for improved bus services”. Caveat: the party didn’t mentioned lifting the ban on new publicly owned bus companies. However, the party supports public ownership for public services and rejects privatisation in general.
Royal Mail: public
The Green Party told Left Foot Forward in 2024 that “if it were in power it would look towards re-nationalising the company further down the line”.
NHS: 🧐 mixed
The SNP’s 2024 manifesto promised to “protect our NHS from the twin threats of Westminster privatisation and austerity” and the Scottish government is very clear that it wants the NHS in Scotland to be in public hands. However it also invited private firms and hospitals to bid to provide NHS-funded healthcare in a contract which runs until 2027.
Water: public
The Scottish Government is keeping water publicly owned by Scottish Water in Scotland. On average investment is 35% higher than in England and bills are lower too.
Rail: public
The Scottish Government took ScotRail and the Caledonian Sleeper into public ownership. It is now actively considering using public green bonds to finance new trains, after ASLEF the train drivers’ union called for publicly owned rolling stock.
Energy: 🧐 mixed
In 2017 Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon promised to set up a publicly owned energy company. Unfortunately the Scottish government now says it does not have the powers to deliver this under devolution. It is committed to supporting community and local ownership of energy.
Buses: private
Get Glasgow Moving says that Scotland is being slower than England to enable bus franchising (public control of bus networks). The SNP’s 2024 manifesto didn’t mention public ownership. Scotland’s Trade Union Centre is making the case for “more Lothian Buses across Scotland”
Royal Mail: public
Back in 2013, when the Royal Mail was sold off, former First Minister Alex Salmond said the privatisation would be reversed in an independent Scotland.
NHS: public
Plaid Cymru’s 2024 manifesto says the party opposes “privatisation of services by stealth through out-sourcing”.
Water: ❓ unknown
Plaid Cymru wants Wales to be in charge of its own water, with powers to set environment targets and manage sewage licensing. Welsh Water is a not for profit company but is not accountable to anyone and pays out huge interest payments to its creditors. Plaid has not spoken about whether it would plan to make Welsh Water more accountable to households, workers, anti sewage groups or local politicians.
Rail: public
Plaid Cymru wants the railway in public ownership in Wales and in the UK as a whole “so that it acts on behalf of its users, rather than shareholders, and allows for greater alignment of services”
Energy: public
Plaid Cymru believes that “the privatised energy market has patently failed”. It wants “full control over our natural resources” and a sovereign wealth fund. The party made the case for establishing Ynni Cymru as a new publicly owned energy generation company which is boosting community energy. Caveat: Plaid’s focus is on energy independence from Westminster. It is not clear whether it wants a publicly owned energy retail company and fully public grid.
Buses: public
Plaid Cymru supports renationalisation of major bus services and integration of bus and rail services. The party wants the needs of passengers, not commercial attractiveness to determine bus routes and it supports bus regulation as a first step.
Royal Mail: ❓ unknown
Plaid Cymru was against the privatisation of Royal Mail and believes the Post Office should be devolved to Wales and in public ownership. Caveat: There is no clear recent policy on whether Plaid Cymru would support buying back the Royal Mail.
NHS: public
Your Party’s statement says it supports “an NHS free of privatisation”. Caveat: Full policy programme will likely be confirmed at a future conference.
Water: public
Your Party’s statement says it supports bringing water into public ownership. Caveat: Full policy programme will likely be confirmed at a future conference.
Rail: public
Your Party’s statement says it supports bringing rail into public ownership. Caveat: Full policy programme will likely be confirmed at a future conference.
Energy: public
Your Party’s statement says it supports bringing energy into public ownership. Caveat: Full policy programme will likely be confirmed at a future conference.
Buses: public
So far Your Party has not talked publicly about buses, however it is known that leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana support public ownership of public services in general, so we can assume they support buses in public ownership. Caveat: Full policy programme will likely be confirmed at a future conference.
Royal Mail: public
Your Party’s statement says it supports bringing mail into public ownership. Caveat: Full policy programme will likely be confirmed at a future conference.