Invisible Hands: 1. The Chicken Farmer

A fighter pilot watches his brother plunge to his death in the Second World War. Grief-stricken, he vows to fight until his dying day for the cause of freedom. This man would return from war transformed and set out on a journey that would change Britain forever. He would dedicate his life to an idea. An idea that at the time was almost laughed at. That no one in positions of power dared talk about. That idea? Free-market capitalism. This is the story of the war hero turned chicken farmer who set the stage for Margaret Thatcher.

In this new narrative series, David Dimbleby traces the history of the hidden force that changed Britain - the free market revolution - and the invisible hands that shaped it.

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 Sound Design: Peregrine Andrews Executive Producers: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina Story Editor: Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitsina Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A Samizdat Audio production for BBC Radio 4