Friday Rant - Train Tyres: A Tory Technofix
by Jack Stilgoe
Anyway, their attempt to control the agenda has been flummoxed somewhat by today's lovely discussion of John Redwood's technofix footnote.

You'll remember that, almost exactly a year ago, the Tories announced that social problems could be solved by monorails... This silly season's social policy? John Redwood, asked to come up with a coherent centre(-ish)-right approach to competitiveness, has suggested solving congestion by putting tyres on trains. Tyres on trains. Tyres, right? On trains. Like a bus. But a train. You know, like in ultra-competitive Paris. All we need is to build a mini road alongside every single railway line in the country. The work of an afternoon.
Clutching at technological straws - the surest sign of desperation on intractable policy issues.
Pete Bradwell
Just in case you wanted to read the review, it is published here.