The Political Economy of Nationalisation in Britain, 1920-1950 [Paperback]

Robert Millward (Editor), John Singleton (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 2002

In this study of the causes of nationalization, experts in British industrial history analyze the public ownership debates. During the Labour governments of 1945-51 a number of important industries were taken into public ownership, and legislation was passed for the nationalization of the steel industry. It was argued that nationalization would lead to an improvement in the efficiency of these key sectors, on which the rest of British industry depended for inputs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The case for this volume is almost too obvious to need stating...These up-to-date essays will therefore receive an unequivocal welcome from students and scholars....But no short review of this kind can do justice to the range and depth of these essays; they will give students of both economic and political history plenty to think about for some years to come." Historian

"...the papers have some considerable strengths." Journal of Economic History

"The papers, written largely by specialists in the industries concerned, are of high quality and accurately reflect the variety of industrial circumstances and accidents that did or did not result in nationalization when Labour came to power in the summer of 1945. The collection as a whole makes an essential, thought-provoking addition to undergraduate and graduate libraries." D.E. Moggridge, Choice

"...an outstanding and informative collection in which every essay is pertinent, the standard uniformly high, the themes clear, the research solid, and the conclusions pointed and satisfying." Kenneth D. Brown, Albion

"The case for this volume is almost too obvious to need stating. The nationalization of British industry has been a surprisingly neglected theme...These up-to-date essays will therefore receive an unequivocal welcome from students and scholars...But no short review of this kind can do justice to the range and depth of these essays; they will give students of both economic and political history plenty to think about for some years to come." The Historian

Book Description

In this first modern study of the causes of nationalisation, experts in British industrial history analyse the public ownership debates, and explain how many well-informed and moderate groups came to believe that the public ownership of certain major industries would be economically beneficial. During Attlee's Labour governments of 1945-51 a number of important industries, including coal, electricity, the railways, and gas were taken into public ownership, and legislation was passed for the nationalisation of the steel industry. It was then argued that nationalisation would lead to an improvement in the efficiency of these key sectors, on which the rest of British industry depended for inputs. Today, such a policy would be almost unthinkable. This study examines the historical issues and uses detailed case studies of industries to explore the public ownership debate.

Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (April 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521892562
• ISBN-13: 978-0521892568
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,939,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)