New Labour's attack on public services

Dexter Whitfield, Spokesman, paperback, 176 pages, £11.99

This book refutes the premise that modernisation and marketisation go hand in glove. In his defence of keeping the public sector public, Whitfield breaks down New Labour's rationale for marketisation by explaining exactly how markets work in theory and in practice and most importantly how they can fail.

The core of the book focuses on how the state makes markets and gives examples from across the public sector. The inevitable conclusion is that marketisation leads to privatisation where there are winners and losers.

Whitfield does offer an alternative way forward and include examples of successful campaigns against privatisation of the public services.