Prices are rising faster than wages, the NHS is in permanent crisis, employment has been replaced by zero-hours contracts, housing becomes ever less affordable and homelessness is growing.

The astonishing thing is that nobody does anything about it.

The opposition parties are not opposing. They have no new policies to offer so what can they say?

There are occasional public demonstrations, which the government ignores, but nothing changes.

We need a big bold change and that is to take a large slice of the economy into public ownership.

This would be immensely popular with the public. Who would not welcome renationalisation of water, gas, electricity, Royal Mail and railways?

Contrary to popular belief, nationalisation costs nothing because it is purely a paper transaction.

Company shareholders receive treasury stock, not cash, in exchange for their shares.

This is how it was done in the 1940s and we would use the same process today.

Public borrowing would be increased, which is why the EU would never allow us do this, but public borrowing is a very good thing because it provides a secure home for people’s pension savings.

Let’s stop saying “nothing can be done” and start planning now for a big renationalisation programme after the 2020 election.

Rex Hora, Erleigh Court Gardens, Earley