Labour’s nationalisation plans should be debated – but not with misleading figures | Carys Roberts

The CBI's flawed analysis ignored all the benefits of the party's flagship policy

It's hard to unite nationalisation advocates and sceptics. But the Confederation of British Industry has managed to do just that, getting into hot water this week with an unsubstantiated claim that the Labour party's plans to renationalise utilities would cost 196bn. These kinds of big numbers get media attention and help drive a narrative, particularly when they come from an establishment organisation such as the CBI. But by presenting an unbalanced view it has lost out on an opportunity for genuinely useful public debate.

Related: Northern rail could be renationalised, says transport secretary