Britain in Decline: Economic Policy, Political Strategy and the British State Book

An examination of the nature and causes of British decline and the political strategies that seek to reverse it. In this substantially revised edition the author shows how the discontents of the last two decades are related to the remarkable successes of the past. Britain's past glories were built on the twin foundations of its position as the world's largest empire and its leading commercial and industrial power, opening the world market to the free movement of goods and investment. But as other powers emerged to challenge Britain's international predominance, the financial and political trappings of empire changed from assets to liabilities. The years since 1945 saw a dramatic collapse of British power and the emergence of a serious threat to the sources of British prosperity. In the 1970's a fierce political debate emerged over how Britain's economic fortunes could be improved. The Left developed a national protectionist strategy, while the Right under Margaret Thatcher opted for a strategy to create a free and open economy. Both involved tearing down the failed institutions and policies of the postwar years. The balance sheet of the Thatcher decade is the subject of a new concluding chapter in this third edition of "Britain in Decline"for which Professor Gamble has also revised and extended the typology of explanations of decline in chapter one and updated the text as necessary throughout.Read More