NEW: Labour are going to commit to free broadband for every household, by nationalising BT. I understand it will be full fibre broadband, which the vast majority of households don’t have.
Not since 1945 has a political party gone into an election pledging so much nationalisation and feeling so confident about it as a vote winner.
Labour will sell as egalitarian issue- as today a basic human need. Suspect will be v populated But will be expensive- suspect govt would have to take on openreach as well as BT. And presumably pension liabilities for both companies...
Leave aside the ins and outs of the policy, which will doubtless be examined in great detail over the coming days; the fact that Labour feels able to go into an election pledging to essentially reverse a Thatcher era privatisation shows how far politics has moved.
Clarification: plan is just to nationalise openreach, not BT wholesale.
The fact that this is now v likely to dominate the conversation for at least a while, is likely to be a win for Labour...
But 2 ways this could go.
1) more ideological dominance of debate for Lab. Tories on the run. Voters like retail offer.
2) voters think it’s too good to be true/money could be better spent in other areas.
Either way, if this is taster of manifesto it’s going to a radical one
1) more ideological dominance of debate for Lab. Tories on the run. Voters like retail offer.
2) voters think it’s too good to be true/money could be better spent in other areas.
Either way, if this is taster of manifesto it’s going to a radical one
Next 24 hours and air war/framing crucial.
