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’A Poll Tax on Wheels’: Might the move to privatise rail in Britain have failed?

Jupe, Robert E. (2011) ’A Poll Tax on Wheels’: Might the move to privatise rail in Britain have failed? Business History, 53 (3). pp. 324-343. ISSN 0007-6791. (doi:10.1080/00076791.2011.565511) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:27890)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.1080/00076791.2011.565511

Abstract

Rail privatisation was a controversial, widely unpopular policy whose implementation was not inevitable. This article employs counterfactual history methodology to examine whether the move to rail privatisation in Britain might have failed. It places the privatisation proposals in context by examining opposition within the Conservative Party and British Rail. The paper then focuses on three key counterfactual questions, including the significance of New Labour's reversal of its commitment to renationalise rail under its ‘third way’ policy and the possible consequences had the move to privatise rail failed. Based on the historical evidence available, it concludes that the move to rail privatisation could have failed, and that performance would have been better had rail remained an integrated, nationalised industry.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1080/00076791.2011.565511
Uncontrolled keywords: rail privatisation, Railtrack, Network Rail, British Rail, New Labour, Third Way, counterfactual history
Subjects: H Social Sciences
Divisions: Divisions > Kent Business School - Division > Kent Business School (do not use)
Depositing User: Kasia Senyszyn
Date Deposited: 08 Jun 2011 14:14 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:06 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/27890 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Jupe, Robert E..

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