Lethbridge, Jane ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0094-9967 (2016) Public enterprises in the UK - A declining force. N/A. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

This paper examines some of the remaining national public enterprises in the United Kingdom (UK) and discusses recent policy trends. Privatisation policies were introduced to the UK in the 1980s, which led to a reduction in the number of national public enterprises in many sectors. This paper examines public enterprises which still operate either across the UK or in the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and function in communications/ broadcasting, public transport and environment/ water services. Several themes emerge from the analysis. Communications/ broadcasting companies are under threat from commercial competitors which now have implicit support from government. The new (2015) Conservative government is pursuing a more aggressive strategy with both the BBC and Channel 4. Several public transport companies over the last decade have moved from public to private ownership and have now returned to public ownership, an indication of the difficulties of maximising profits in the public transport sector. The devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland have played an active role in either maintaining public enterprises or returning them to public ownership.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Public enterprises, privatisation, markets
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory H Social Sciences > HJ Public Finance
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business Faculty of Business > Centre for Work and Employment Research (CREW) > Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU) Faculty of Business > Department of International Business & Economics
Last Modified:	12 Nov 2019 12:54
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/14973

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