John Swift QC is a British lawyer practising at the English bar and a leading authority on competition law. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with antitrust. ...

Rail regulation

From December 1 1993 until November 30 1998, John Swift was Rail Regulator and International Rail Regulator, having been appointed to those posts by Conservative politician and Secretary of State for Transport John MacGregor MP. December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days remaining. ... Statutory office - created by section 1 of the Railways Act 1993 - for the independent economic regulation of the British railway industry. ... John Macgregor (1802-1858) was a Scottish shipbuilder. ...

In that time, the structure of the British railway industry was radically altered in preparation for privatisation, using powers under the Railways Act 1993. The industry was privatised in the period 1995-1997. The Railways Act, 1993 was the legislation introduced by John Majors Conservative government which led to the break-up of British Rail, the handover of train services to various private companies including Virgin, Connex and the coach companies Stagecoach and National Express, and the handover of the railway infrastructure...

The most controversial part of the privatisation was the June 1996 flotation on the London stock exchange of Railtrack, the owner and operator of the national railway infrastructure network. Railtrack was severely criticised for its poor stewardship of the national railway network, and some observers also criticised Swift for what some saw as an excessively light touch in regulating a company which was malfunctioning in many ways. A year after the Hatfield rail crash on October 17 2000, caused by a broken rail, Railtrack collapsed in highly controversial circumstances which led, eventually, to the resignation as Transport Secretary of Stephen Byers, Prescott's successor. Railtrack was a group of companies which owned the tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and some stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002. ... Railtrack was a group of companies which owned the tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and some stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002. ... Places Hatfield is the name of some places around the world. ... October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Railtrack was a group of companies which owned the tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and some stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002. ... The Right Honourable Stephen John Byers (born April 13, 1953) is a British Labour Party politician and former cabinet minister. ...

Swift's role and behaviour were critical to the successful privatisation of Railtrack and the rest of the industry. If he had been hostile to the process, it would not have been completed. Railtrack was a group of companies which owned the tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and some stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002. ...

Upon the change of British government on May 2 1997, Swift's chances of being reappointed as Rail Regulator diminished, and when Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott MP announced at the September 1998 Labour Party conference that he intended to carry out a 'spring clean of the regulators', Swift knew his days were numbered. He was succeeded as Rail Regulator by Chris Bolt (December 1998 - July 1999) and then by Tom Winsor (July 1999 - July 2004). May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... Statutory office - created by section 1 of the Railways Act 1993 - for the independent economic regulation of the British railway industry. ... A Deputy Prime Minister is the deputy of a Prime Minister, and a member of a nations cabinet. ... John Leslie Prescott MP (born May 31, 1938) is a British Labour Party politician, Deputy Prime Minister, First Secretary of State and Member of Parliament for the north east constituency of Hull East. ... Tom Winsor (born December 7, 1957) is a British lawyer who was, from July 5, 1999 until July 4, 2004, the Rail Regulator and International Rail Regulator for Great Britain. ...

Return to the English bar

Swift returned to private practice at the English Bar, and became head of Monckton Chambers, a leading set of competition lawyers.