ABSTRACT
Ownership is essential, but State ownership can be even more autocratic and uncaring than private ownership, and so public enterprises must also have industrial democracy to leaven their operation and to provide social accountability. The tragedy of successive Labour Housing Ministers has been that as the building of homes is split evenly between Local Authorities and private builders, the ministers have very little control over half of the house building in the country. In a political democracy like Britain the case for public ownership has to be argued with an electorate who have yet to be persuaded that it is a good thing for the economy. The ‘public utility and basic industry’ criteria for public ownership are still as strong today as they were in the past, and there are good reasons for adding to those already nationalised. On the grounds of cost control alone, selected parts of the pharmaceutical industry should be brought into public ownership.
