Industrial Efficiency and State Intervention

 

 

 

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Early post-war efforts, 1945–7

 

 

 

The election campaign in 1945 revolved around a number of issues, but Britain's industrial future was certainly at the centre of debate.¹ The electorate was confronted with a fairly clear-cut choice. Labour was pessimistic about the state of industry, and therefore stressed the need for drastic measures. Some sectors, it was true, had performed well during the war, and could be left to develop on their own. But others had ‘wholly or partly failed’ and would therefore need careful attention. Policy prescriptions here ranged from outright nationalisation in a minority of cases to ‘constructive supervision’ in the majority, the aim being always to increase efficiency.² The Conservative ...