Publisher's Synopsis
Since the 1980s, the dominant political ideology in the UK has been based upon 'neoliberalism' which prioritizes reducing public sector investment in society and the economy by promoting a 'free' market driven by competition. - - This volume examines the last and perhaps most controversial of the UK privatizations ? that of British Rail. It establishes why competition became central to the British government?s rail privatization plans and assesses whether this was an appropriate policy goal. It examines where opportunities for competition now exist and if they are being exploited by the private sector. It reviews the future prospects for railway competition and concludes with discussion about whether the policy has been, or is likely to become, a success. A significant, original investigation, drawing on the experiences of key personnel involved in framing, executing and operating within the policy augments secondary data to provide an in-depth and insightful analysis of the translation neoliberal ideals into practical policy measures.
