Democratic Socialism and Economic Policy
The Attlee Years, 1945–1951

This major study analyses the economic policies of the Attlee government.

Jim Tomlinson (Author)

9780521892599, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 20 June 2002

348 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2 cm, 0.51 kg

"In his book on the 1945 Labour government's economic policy, Jim Tomlinson makes a useful addition to an already large literature...Tomlinson has written a useful book that does full justice to the difficult situation within which Labour ministers acted. It will interest both the specialist who is already familiar with the main issues and students who are looking for a clear point of entry into a highly complex subject." Peter Weiler, International Labor & Working-Class History

This major study analyses the economic policies of the Attlee government, both international and domestic, in the light of Labour's issues and doctrines about the economy. Jim Tomlinson highlights the concern of the government with issues of industrial efficiency, and how this concern pervaded all areas of economic policy. He focuses on the economic aspects of the creation of the welfare state, and how efficiency concerns led to a great deal of austerity in the design of welfare provision. In addition, Tomlinson offers detailed discussion of the labour market in this period, both the attempts to 'plan' that market and the tensions in the policies created by attempts to attract more women into paid work. Students, professional historians and even politicians will greatly benefit from this broad-based reappraisal of a crucial era.

List of Tables
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations
1. Introduction: Labour and the economy 1900–45
2. Labour and the international economy I: Overall strategy
3. Labour and the international economy II: The balance of payments
4. Industrial modernisation
5. Nationalisation
6. Controls and planning
7. The financial system
8. Employment policy and the labour market
9. Labour and the woman worker
10. Towards a Keynesian policy
11. The economics of the welfare state
12. Equality versus efficiency?
13. Conclusions: political obstacles to economic reform.

Subject Areas: 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], British & Irish history [HBJD1]