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
The Birth of a Politician: Harold Wilson and the Bonfires of Controls, 1948–9
This article uses a detailed examination on the 1948 and 1949 Bonfires of Controls to reassess Harold Wilson's development as a politician and examine the broader relationship between popular politics and economic policy. Whilst acknowledging the continued importance of the latter within Wilson's self-identification as a modernizing 'specialist', it contends that these events are best viewed as representing the birth of a professional politician. It will show that, although economically motivated, there was a marked disparity between each Bonfire's illusion and reality. Far from being entirely rational, each announcement straddled the gap between politics and economics. Within a post-war political landscape that had seen debates about controls become increasingly emotive, Wilson used the Bonfires to seize advantage. As a result, they can be seen to signify the point of his development from a self-identified professional economist to an astute political actor. © The Author [2013]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
Imperialism at bay 1941-1945 : the United States and the decolonization of the British Empire
This book examines the wartime controversies between Britain and America about the future of the colonial world, and considers the ethical, military, and economic forces behind imperialism during World War II. It concludes that, for Britain, there was a revival of the sense of colonial mission; the Americans, on the other hand, felt justified in creating a strategic fortress in the Pacific Islands while carrying the torch of "international trusteeship" throughout the rest of the world-a scheme that Churchill and others viewed as a cloak for American expansion.