Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Thatcher and Her Blue Children: How Privatisation ruined Britain

This article on privatisation and its consequences, by CPO co-founder Neil Clark, appears in the Morning Star.

It's exactly 20 years ago this month that Margaret Thatcher, the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century, left Downing Street.
Thatcher's negative impact can be seen in many areas. But arguably the most toxic legacy was her privatisation programme.

Thatcher broke with the policy of previous post-war Conservative governments which had accepted the mixed economy post-war consensus, instead embarking on a major series of sell-offs when she first came to power in 1979.

British Telecom, British Gas and British Airways were three of the biggest state-owned companies that Thatcher flogged off.

She also broke up the National Bus Company and Sealink - the highly-profitable publicly owned ferry company.

But the great tragedy was that privatisation did not end with Thatcher's eviction from Number 10 in November 1990.

John Major's government took privatisation even further than the Iron Lady dared to go - embarking on the disastrous sell-off of Britain's railways.


You can read the whole article here.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

very nice post..Thanks for sharing this with us. But can you provide some more details about Rail Companies in Australia?

Anonymous said...

i am completly against you as thatcher was right about the state underpinning beurocratic businesses and costing the tax payer a fortune with workforces and what not. Private businesses can do things through market forces ,costomer demand, her legacy of privitisation is a shining example to all earth including all of the marxists and their overburgeoned economies. Businesses able to stand under their own weight. Just look (if you can see yet ,if not you should be able to in the next decade) at what Lloyds Hbos and Rbs have cost the taxpayer, these sorts of businesses ruin prospects stifle opportunity and drag down the quality and standard of life for us all and more than we know . One way or another Thatcher will be spinning in her ,..... Er, ...... Coffin?!?!