Introduction: the Fall and Rise of a Reputation
Harold Wilson’s Labour party came to power in October 1964 with a pledge to modernise Britain. ‘Modernisation’ was the omnibus phrase that he used in each and every area of policy, from the shape of the economy to Britain’s military commitments abroad. The idea was not limited to his famous speech at Labour’s 1963 Conference in Scarborough, in which he invoked the ‘white heat’ of the ‘technological revolution’. It was, rather, a constant theme in Labour’s appeal to the electorate. Science and the Future of Britain, Labour’s 1961 statement of aims in that field, set out new ways to achieve ‘the expansion and modernisation of our industries’. As chairman of the Science and Industry group of the National Executive Committee, Wilson was intimately concerned with that pamphlet, and with bringing scientists and other experts into the policy-making process. In his very first meeting with the TUC after becoming prime minister, he told trade union leaders that ‘modernisation and the National Plan’ were his priorities. Harold Wilson also emphasised modernity in foreign policy. Following the Conservatives’ failure to enter the European Community, Wilson encouraged the Labour party to view Commonwealth regeneration as an alternative. Genuinely committed to the strengthening of Commonwealth links, Wilson maintained that Britain’s international role would be best served by assisting the world’s poorest nations. The Commonwealth offered Britain leadership and influence and the moral dignity of assisting a diverse, underdeveloped and multi-racial grouping. In defence policy also, the Labour government would seek to bring stability to underdeveloped
Pemberton, H. (Author). (2007). Review of the 2006 periodical literature related to the period since 1945 and relevant to the study of British economic and social history. 10
clinical uses for the artificial radioisotope between 1945 and 1965. As part of the broader nuclear enterprise, the radioisotope programme enjoyed powerful political and financial support from the British government. This study examines the range of technical, political, economic, institutional and professional factors that shaped its journey from medical periphery to medical practice. Another study, by Quirke, explores the development by the British pharmacological industry between 1958 and 1978 of beta-blockers – which by 1987 accounted for 36 per cent of the total value of the world’s top twenty selling medicines, with nearly 75 per cent of these sales accounted for by products invented and developed in the UK.
Factors Likely to Influence Tort Litigation in the European Union
As the European Union moves towards harmonization in a variety of business, political, and regulatory settings, an opportunity exists to influence the form of tort liability found in these nations. The opportunity should not be missed, with rising concern that U.S. influences will set into motion costly litigiousness, particularly as EU member nations pull back on the level of social programmes available to cover costs typically included in tort claims. To assist policymakers in their deliberations about European Union tort directives, this paper provides discussion of the frequently cited key differences between the U.S. tort systems and what is found in most EU member nations. The discussion is focused on available evidence regarding the influences of these differences as well as important areas of future research. The most important areas seem to be (1) the need to enforce European Law when no defined regulatory body exists for this purpose; (2) the connection between government social programmes and the need for tort liability compensation; (3) and the influence of rules governing payment of legal costs and lawyer fees.