A CANDIDATE to be a Euro MP for Yorkshire was today urging rail passengers in York to fight Government plans to privatise the East Coast main line.

Andrew Cooper, who is the lead contender for the Greens in May’s European elections, said the shortlist of bidders for the franchise had shown the “irony of the Government’s ideological obsession with privatisation”, and it was the wrong move after £800 million had been returned to the UK purse while the line was in public hands.

“The Green Party believes East Coast should stay in the public sector and each franchise should be taken back into public control as it comes up for renewal, to create an integrated and accountable railway system,” said Mr Cooper, who was due to hand leaflets to passengers at York Station before joining local party members in Parliament Street.