Labour Governments and Private Industry : The Experience of 1945-51

This study examines the crucial period of the Attlee governments (1945-51) in which Labour and the private sector defined their policy towards one another, a period which has often been portrayed as the origin of many of Britain's long-term industrial problems.

Ten contributors address three main themes: the extent to which Labour policies where socialist; the role of the Labour governments as a modernizing agency in the private sector; and the power of private industry to set parameters for government policies.

They describe the policies intended for private industry (controls, productivity, monopolies, investment, taxation) and look at their effect on a range of industries including shipbuilding, cotton, the film industry and car manufacture.

In part an introductory survey of key relevant debates to date, this book also presents the recent archival research of the contributors.

This book should be of interest to those on undergraduate courses on 20th century British economic history, policy, or government-industry relations.