LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair has staked his reputation on achieving a significant improvement in British public services. Under previous Conservative Party administrations, public services were allowed to run down as public expenditures were reduced.
With the same end in mind, attempts were also made to privatize the delivery of many public services. A major effort was put into developing public-private partnerships under PFI (private finance initiative) projects.
While the provision of some services improved as private enterprise was introduced, investment in the public sector and the quality of service provided declined. Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher notoriously never traveled by train, and a lack of overall investment in public transport resulted in Britain having what many regarded as a Third World public-transport system.