Tuesday, May 30, 2006
£21m bung for Balfour Beatty and Network Rail

Mr Justice Mackay described BB’s work as ‘the worst examples of sustained industrial negligence in a high-risk industry’ he had ever seen. So much for the alleged superiority of the private sector.
But both companies were acquitted on some charges, and applied for costs. The outcome? A taxpayer-funded handout of £20.9m.
This just three days after revelations that four Network Rail directors have copped bonuses totalling £1.1m, even though one train in eight runs late.
Privatising British Rail is one of the Tories’ biggest mistakes. Not taking it back into public ownership is one of New Labour’s.