Selling The Family Silver

It is the cornerstone of all Conservative governments, but particularly of Mrs Thatcher's. Whether it flies through the sky or is pumped from the ground - nothing, it seems, can escape Mrs T's passion for privatization.Selling the Family Silver is a strident analysis of Britain's privatization programme of the past decade. Written by leading financial writer and broadcaster, Colin Chapman, it offers a forthright but authoritative view of the new fully privatized plcs.-Are they revitalized, super-efficient organizations packed with potential, or simply the same old organization, with a new logo and free from the safeguarding scrutiny of state officials?-What is the real value - and cost - of these major, and often controversial, sell-offs?-Who has benefited most? Those who purchased the issues, or those who organized, backed and promoted them?-Are the new corporations any more competitive than the nationalized monoliths of gas, telecommunications and water, or are they private monopolies?-Has privatization been a vindication of Thatcherite policy, or an opportunity magnificently wasted?Following the British government's proselytizing lead, national and local governments the world over are selling off organizations once thought to be the indisputable siblings of central government.This book further examines the effects of privatization policies beyond Britain; will privatization help to stabilize the economies of the reformed Eastern Bloc countries? What impact has privatization had on Third World economies?And what's next for Britain? Will privatization transform local government? Is privatization the answer for more efficient British Rail? Is there much of a case for keeping the mail service in the public sector? Will a privatized education system restore confidence of both teachers and parents? Can tax collection be made more efficient by privatizing the Inland Revenue? And what about a privatized monarchy?