Britain’s life-saving coastal search and rescue helicopter services are being contracted out to a company based in Texas because the government do not want to buy 22 new helicopters.

The British invented privatization, a boondoggle that has been copied all over the world. In the British context natural monopolies have been sold to foreign companies (water being a good example) that will not invest enough to guarantee good quality, and which have put prices up to gouging levels. Whether it is gas, phones or airlines service has been poor and the beneficiaries have been foreign investors and friends of the Conservative party.

Will a private company put its helicopters and crew at risk in the same way that the armed forces are trained to do? Once they have the monopoly will they hold the public to ransom? And when their helicopters get old will they replace them at their expense? (No need to answer the questions – the answers are predictable).

Epicureans believe in public service and service for the public. Natural monopolies should be controlled by elected officials and their managements should be accountable to the local population, not to shadowy investors who care nothing about the country.