In July 1979, an article in the Financial Times introduced the public to the word “privatisation” — coined by the then Treasury minister Nigel Lawson in the newly elected Conservative government. For a decade the policy gained momentum. Whole industries were transferred into the private sector, from oil exploration and steel to telecoms, energy and water utilities. It marked a sea-change in British politics, the success of which was subsequently emulated around the world.
1979年7月,英国《金融时报》的一篇文章向公众介绍了“私有化”(privatisation)一词,这个词是当时在新当选的保守党(Conservative)政府中担任财政大臣的奈杰尔•劳森(Nigel Lawson)创造的。在那之后的十年,私有化政策的势头越来越足。从石油勘探、钢铁,再到通讯、能源以及自来水供应,一个个行业彻底变成了私营部门。这标志着英国政治上翻天覆地的变化,这一成功随后得到世界各地效仿。