First post but can't let this one pass without a comment. Gwyneth was a remarkable woman and she'll be deeply missed for her conviction approach to politics - and she did a lot of good things. However, while she certainly opposed the PPP I'd say she was one of the main reasons why it happened.
Those CAA/ NATS managers who she was beating up for everyone's entertainment in 1998/99 weren't the people who caused Swanwick to be late. The cause of Swanwick being late was down to the fact that IBM - then the biggest IT company in the world - had said they could complete it by 1996, instead of which they completely mucked it up and the project then had to be rescued. The people who Gwyneth was attacking in 98/99 were the rescuers - air traffickers put into an impossible job! And after Lockheed Martin had taken over the contract, and despite all the criticism and doom mongering, in the end they did it and Swanwick worked.
Meanwhile of course, the new Labour Government was looking to raise money - without appearing to have completely lost its credibility. And Gwynteth's contribution was almost single handedly to turn NATS into a "problem" for the Government which had to be sorted out. You only have to look at any of the Government pronouncements about the PPP from that period and they're all about the need to "inject project management skills" and "private sector management expertise" into NATS. Nothing about the cash raising side of it. For example - this from a Government response to one of her reports:
"The Government agrees fully with the Committee that there is still considerable room for improvement in the operations of the 100% publicly owned NATS' business -this was one of the main reasons for seeking a Strategic Partnership for NATS with a Public Private Partnership, which will ensure greater investment and safety.
As the Committee points out, over the past few years NATS has experienced cost overruns or long delays to the completion of all of its major projects. The Government believes that delivering action now through the implementation of the PPP, will provide the necessary resources and expertise required by NATS to manage its business effectively. To do nothing now would therefore be damaging to NATS business and investment programme, as well as damaging to the morale of NATS staff, who would be subjected to further uncertainty about their future."
So who gave them the excuse for the PPP with endless public diatribes against allegedly useless NATS managers - you've got it in one!