From The Sunday Times
August 30, 2009




A radical plan to raise £100 billion by privatising the motorway network has been presented to the three main political parties by NM Rothschild, the influential investment bank.

Rothschild, an architect of several privatisations, made its pitch in the weeks running up to the summer recess on July 21, Whitehall sources said. Bankers told leading politicians that the sale of the roads overseen by the Highways Agency — all motorways and most big trunk roads — could help revive battered public finances.

Toll-road companies and infrastructure funds would compete to operate and maintain stretches of the network.

In one version of the scheme, the government would pay for upkeep through a system of “shadow” tolls. A more radical, and less politically palatable, option would be for companies to charge motorists directly through toll booths or electronic card readers. The RAC Foundation, a motorists’ group, advocated privatisation in a report last week.


Key points:

The Rothschild plan has already won the support of Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrats’ deputy leader and Treasury spokesman.
Cable said. “The scale of it is vast — it makes rail privatisation look like small beer.”

The bank was behind many of the key privatisations of the 1980s and 1990s, including British Steel, British Gas and British Coal. It has close links to the Conservatives, having employed several senior Party figures including Lord Lamont, John Redwood and Lord Wakeham. Oliver Letwin, the former shadow chancellor, works there part-time.

Politicians of all Parties are seeking ways to decrease the need for large tax rises or heavy cuts in public services. The bank bailouts and a recent collapse in tax revenues has seen public sector debt rise to more than £800 billion, 56.8% of GDP — up from 35.5% just two years ago.

Full article: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article6814923.ece

Fluff........

Well, well, well.... fresh of the yacht, the dealings by our government are no surprise to us in the conspiracy teams and definitely not shocked by the Rothschilds involvement, the privatisation plan (motorway tax) is just another way to squeeze every last drop of extra cash you have.

Not a bad deal really? they make money out of fresh air and you pay heavy tax on all services.....no questions asked!!!