My Letter to Nick Clegg concerning Rail fare 14th June

Dear Nick,

                Greetings, I am writing to you as leader of the party to plead a case for a section of Alarm Clock Britain.

I, like many people commute to London from outside of the capital, working forty five hours a week for £21,000 per anum, which as a civil servant puts me in the pay freeze. This would be alright but for the high probability of a rise of train fares that will occur over the next few years which could leave me in the very worrying situation of not being able to afford to go to work.

I have written to my MP, Mr Rehman Chisthi MP who also passed my concerns on to Teresa Villiers MP and Minister for Rail. I appreciated the responses and the help that both of your colleagues provided for me, to be honest it was a lot more than I expected! I understand from the Minister’s response that obviously any Government subsidies to slow ticket price rises would end up coming from the Public purse which is not an option at this time due to the legacy of the last Government and the results of the Spending Review. I also understand that the McNulty commission has looked in to the way the railways are run and how they handle their money.  However there is the very real possibility that this may have no affect what so ever.

This possible situation is rapidly becoming a real fear for my family and me, as I am sure it is for others. This year alone a my monthly season ticket price rose by £30’s, if similar rises occur over the next three years it will seriously dent my family’s finances. I enjoy working at the XXXXXX and it is something of a dream job for me, I do not wish to be unemployed nor take a second rate job in Medway but I will do what is necessary to pay my mortgage and support my wife and daughter Sophie. I am writing, in a round a bout way to ask you, and the party leadership to please continue to represent Alarm Clock Britain’s needs and fears and to argue for fairness when dealing with Railway companies and fare rises. It is not fair that people who genuinely want to work and pay their way are swindled and even forced out of work as we are held to ransom by a faceless monopoly.

Separately, some of my colleagues who live in London and are on the same wage are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of rent is so high, it has been suggested that the pay freeze should have a higher threshold for those who work in the city and have to pay London prices.

In closing I also want to thank you for all the hard work you do for the party and the country. Without being sycophantic, I genuinely believe in the work you and the Parliamentary party are doing despite the overly critical nature of the press etc. I am still proud to be a Liberal Democrat, to have run for council here in Medway and to say that; “I still agree with Nick.”

                                                                                                    Yours  Faithfully