ABSTRACT

The next major privatisations following the successful disposals of the first tranches of British Aerospace and Cable and Wireless shares involved Amersham International, the National Freight Corporation (NFC) and Associated British Ports (ABP). The Amersham sale resulted in the largest mis-pricing of a privatisation issue during the first Thatcher Government and the NFC sale was nearly abandoned because of a lack of investor interest. The disposal of ABP also involved a string of problems which delayed the flotation until February 1983, immediately before a general election.