General election 2019: What are nationalisation and privatisation? (2024)

General election 2019: What are nationalisation and privatisation? (1)General election 2019: What are nationalisation and privatisation? (2)Getty Images

The political parties are setting out their ideas for the country.

Labour likes to talk about the risk of privatising the NHS, accusing the Conservatives of wanting to do a deal with Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives have criticised Labour's plans to nationalise part of BT, to provide free broadband

But what do nationalisation and privatisation actually mean?

What is nationalisation?

Nationalisation is when a government takes control or ownership of private property, like a company.

It is complex, but there are different ways this can be done.

For example, a government could buy up 50.1% (ie the majority) of the shares in a company.

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Private owners don't have to agree to transfer ownership to the government - it makes that decision for them.

Full nationalisation involves a government taking on an industry's entire assets and operations.

When the coal industry was nationalised after World War Two, for example, it involved the transfer of ownership and control of 1,200 pits owned by 800 companies who employed 700,000 workers.

Tens of millions of pounds was paid in compensation to the previous owners for their assets - the mines, colliery plants and all the equipment.

The government can also buy individual companies outright, although this is fairly unusual.

What is privatisation?

Privatisation is the opposite of nationalisation.

It typically refers to the ownership of property, a business, or an industry being transferred from a government to an individual, or another private company.

Under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, at least 22 big privatisations took place. They included companies like BT and British Airways, as well as more complex ones like the rail industry.

Among them, water and sewerage services were privatised in England and Wales in 1989.

General election 2019: What are nationalisation and privatisation? (5)General election 2019: What are nationalisation and privatisation? (6)Getty Images

They are now run by private companies, although there is a national regulator of the regional water companies called Ofwat. It can set caps on how much water companies charge customers.

The privatisation of Royal Mail took place in 2013. The government sold a 13% stake in the business, while 1% was awarded to employees.

What is a bailout?

A bailout is usually when a government rescues a failing private company by giving it money or loans, or buys shares in it.

It is a form of nationalisation, and can be a temporary measure. It has been used to save banks that were in trouble.

In the last decade, it has had to cut 130,000 jobs and shut up or sell operations in 41 countries.

What are the pros and cons?

Nationalisation can stir up a lot of debate.

Some people think that it makes sense for the government to be in charge of industries where a natural monopoly exists. That means where a single firm supplies everyone with a particular product or service.

The state getting involved should mean theoretically that consumers pay the best prices available, and are not exploited.

But, issues can still arise.

Questions could be raised over a government's actions and their impact on other investors in a partly-nationalised company.

For example, some shareholders in a nationalised energy company might lose money if a government decided to reduce energy bills. Such a decision could break company law, because those smaller investors could suffer if share prices went down. This means they are being "unfairly prejudiced".

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Bulk buying for railways

The Labour Party has proposed bringing private rail companies back into public ownership, as train operators' contracts to run parts of the rail network expire. The policy gained support from some commuters annoyed by fare increases and overcrowded trains.

It is argued that national ownership could also lead to cost savings. For example, a nationalised rail service could bulk buy the materials, track and the rolling stock needed across a rail network, reducing costs.

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Labour has also previously proposed bringing water companies back into public ownership.

Unions often favour nationalisation. That's because they feel they might be treated better by a government, rather than big businesses.

However, the Conservatives have said Labour's nationalisation plans would result in "a collapse in business investment and a crash in the value of the pound".

Competition

Other people argue that private companies are more efficient.

That's because they're in competition with each other and may have to cut costs and use better production methods to make more profit.

There's also a fear that governments interfere in how state-owned companies are run, making changes that suit their political agenda, or that suit them ahead of an election.

Nationalised companies or industries might also struggle for cash long-term.

If they are competing with other government departments like education, health and defence, there could be a risk that state-owned industries are underfunded.

How much could Labour's nationalisation plan cost?
Northern rail could be nationalised
General election 2019: What are nationalisation and privatisation? (2024)

FAQs

What is privatization and nationalization? ›

Nationalization involves the transfer of ownership and control of an industry or enterprise from private to public ownership. In contrast, privatization involves transferring ownership and management from the public to the private sector.

What do you mean by Nationalisation? ›

Nationalization is the process of taking privately-controlled companies, industries, or assets and putting them under the control of the government. Nationalization often happens in developing countries and can reflect a nation's desire to control assets or to assert its dominance over foreign-owned industries.

What is the meaning of privatisation? ›

Definition: The transfer of ownership, property or business from the government to the private sector is termed privatization. The government ceases to be the owner of the entity or business. The process in which a publicly-traded company is taken over by a few people is also called privatization.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of privatization? ›

Advantages and Disadvantages of Privatisation
  • Increased Efficiency and Productivity. ...
  • Enhanced Competition. ...
  • Attraction of Foreign Direct Investment. ...
  • Reduced Fiscal Burden on the Government. ...
  • Risk of Private Monopolies. ...
  • Potential Job Losses. ...
  • Social Obligations May Be Ignored. ...
  • Economic Disparity.
Jun 15, 2023

Is nationalization good or bad? ›

Nationalization can produce adverse effects, such as reducing competition in the marketplace, which in turn reduces incentives to innovation and maintains high prices.

What is privatization and why is it important? ›

Privatization is the process of transferring property from public ownership to private ownership and/or transferring the management of a service or activity from the government to the private sector.

What is the difference between Nationalisation and Nationalisation? ›

Nationalization and nationalisation are both English terms. Nationalization is predominantly used in 🇺🇸 American (US) English ( en-US ) while nationalisation is predominantly used in 🇬🇧 British English (used in UK/AU/NZ) ( en-GB ).

What does nationalize mean easy definition? ›

transitive verb. 1. : to give a national character to. 2. : to invest control or ownership of in the national government.

What is your nationalization? ›

Naturalization is the process to become a U.S. citizen if you were born outside of the United States. If you meet certain requirements, you may become a U.S. citizen either at birth or after birth.

What is an example of privatization? ›

Transferring services provided by the government to private businesses is known as privatization. Another use of the term involves publicly traded companies becoming privately owned. Jails and prisons are examples of government-run services that sometimes are transferred to private businesses.

What is another word for privatization? ›

Definitions of privatisation. noun. changing something from state to private ownership or control. synonyms: denationalisation, denationalization, privatization. antonyms: communisation, communization, nationalisation, nationalization.

What is privatization Quizlet? ›

privatization. the process of selling companies or organizations that are owned by the government to private investors.

What are the side effects of privatization? ›

The negative effects of privatization are:
  • One significant inconvenience to perceive is the chances for bribery and corruption that accompany privatization.
  • Expanding the bridge between the rich and poor people.
  • Business models are imposed by private organizations.
  • Disadvantages on prices as the firms are price takers.

What are the problems with Privatisation? ›

The Downside: Disadvantages of Privatisation Of Markets

The first potential drawback of privatisation is the risk of creating private monopolies. Particularly in sectors with high entry barriers, a lack of competition after privatisation can result in monopolistic practices and negative consequences for consumers.

What are three reasons why a government would privatize a business? ›

  • What are three reasons why a government would privatize a business?
  • to ensure equal access to public goods.
  • to punish corporate conglomerates.
  • to raise money.
  • to ensure that a business runs more efficiently.
  • to reduce the size of government.
Dec 19, 2023

What are the negative effects of privatisation? ›

The negative effects of privatization are:
  • One significant inconvenience to perceive is the chances for bribery and corruption that accompany privatization.
  • Expanding the bridge between the rich and poor people.
  • Business models are imposed by private organizations.
  • Disadvantages on prices as the firms are price takers.

What industries are nationalized in the US? ›

List of partially or wholly federally owned enterprises
  • Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)
  • Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
  • Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps)
  • Export-Import Bank of the United States.
  • Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.

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