If
you wish to remind yourself of how nationalised industries usually operate you
could do worse than look at the Post Office and Southeastern Railway. I might
have mentioned the NHS too except that a friend who has been neglected and
fobbed off by his GP for the last six weeks took himself to the A&E at Lock’s
Bottom yesterday and was treated very well. Scans, X-rays and ECG within hours,
called in again today for the verdict and sent away with bucket loads of pills.
Now he knows what the problem is and feeling better already.
How fortunate to live in a borough with an Accident & Emergency Department.
Four years ago this borough was
losing Post Offices by the bucket load and Sidcup Councillor Richard Diment
fought for his local Post Office which was eventually reopened, albeit not for long apparently.
The same happened in Bexley village. Its Post Office closed for nine months with no nearby alternative.
It has happened again. The village Post Office has been shut for several months and an enquiry to the
Post Office provoked the unintelligent response one has come to expect from
government employees. “Unfortunately the Post Office is temporarily closed.”
Complaints to the local Councillors are futile. They too will be fobbed off and
can only speculate, as we all can, that the shop has run into difficulties.
Meanwhile the Post Office doesn’t care and continues to say it is open all day.
That’s nationalisation for you.