Growth in the British Economy: A Study of Economic Problems and Policies in Contemporary Britain

Growth in the British Economy (1960) examines the slow rate of growth in the British economy and evaluates the view that Britain is lagging behind other industrial countries. It points to aspects of Britain’s economic performance which could have serious implications for the country’s future. Among the factors which may have been responsible for Britain’s relatively poor showing, the report looks particularly at the influence of government policy on the level and distribution of investment, and at the way in which policies to deal with inflation and the balance of payments have influenced long-term prospects. The impacts of taxation, of the policies of the nationalised industries, and of governmental expenditure on defence and the social services are also examined in detail. The report assesses the adequacy of the machinery for planning and coordinating economic policy, and the roles of management and labour in promoting or hindering economic growth. Economic policies in the United States, France and Germany are compared in detail with those in Britain.