The History Podcast - Invisible Hands: 3. Selling The Silver

Download Invisible Hands: 3. Selling The Silver

A young banker sits in front of a book full of balance sheets. Boring work. But he has come to a realisation. And it’s a realisation that will, in a few short years, transform Britain. This banker - John Redwood - had realised that the best way to turn the country into a free market paradise was to sell all the big industries owned by the state to the people of Britain. To create a nation of shareholders. The only problem? No one wanted to listen to him.

This is the story of a radical experiment in free market capitalism. One that had never been tried before. And of one man with a vision and a set of spreadsheets. To remake the country and sell capitalism to the masses.

David Dimbleby traces the history of an idea that spans his life. It started on a chicken farm in Sussex, gained traction in the shadows of post-war London and rose to heights of excess in the new champagne bars of the City. It's 2025 and this once radical idea now defines every aspect of life in Britain. An idea that transformed the economy, politics and, ultimately, society itself.

But how did it happen? Who are the little-known people behind it? What did they want? And - as Donald Trump threatens to overturn the global economic system - is the free market here to stay? Or are we entering a new era?

Presenter: David Dimbleby
Producer: Jo Barratt
Executive Producers and Story Editors: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina
Sound design: Peregrine Andrews
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A Samizdat Audio production for BBC Radio 4

Published on Wednesday, 9th April 2025.

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