Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-vpsfw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-16T15:02:04.740Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Creating the Welfare State in Britain, 1945–1960

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2009

Noel Whiteside
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Political consensus on the scope and structure of the welfare state in post-war Britain has been much overstated. The Labour governments (1945–51), committed to universalism and a planned economy, gave state welfare a central role in guaranteeing ‘fair shares for all’ and used it to help secure union co-operation over wage restraint. The Conservative governments (1951–64), committed to the restoration of ‘sound finance’, abandoned these objectives and attacked components of the welfare state designed to control prices and mediate demands for higher wages. The author concludes that, for comparative social policy studies to be effective, differing frameworks of state welfare have to be more exactly defined.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Social Policy , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , January 1996 , pp. 83 - 103
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Freedon, M. (1990), ‘The stranger at the feast: ideology and policy in twentieth century Britain’, Twentieth Century British History, 1.Google Scholar
Harris, J. (1986), ‘Political ideas and the debate on social welfare, 1940–45’, in Smith, H. J. (ed.), War and Social Change, Manchester University Press, Manchester.Google Scholar
Jones, H. (1992), ‘The Conservative Party and the Welfare State, 1942–1955’, unpublished PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.Google Scholar
Jones, R. (1987), Wages and Employment Policy, Allen and Unwin, London.Google Scholar
Lowe, R. (1989), ‘Resignation at the Treasury’, Journal of Social Policy, 18: 505–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Public Record Office (PRO), T 171/400: 1950, Budget Papers, vol. I.Google Scholar
PRO, T 171/405: 1951, Budget Papers, vol. III.Google Scholar
PRO, T 171/470: 1956, Budget Papers, vol. II.Google Scholar
PRO, T 172/2033: 1952, Discussions with TUC on wages policy.Google Scholar
PRO, T 227/119: 1952, Review of social security benefits: Budget speech papers.Google Scholar
PRO, T 227/413–15: 1955–1956, Five year review of expenditure on the social services.Google Scholar
PRO, T 227/968: 1957–1960, Family Allowances.Google Scholar
PRO, T 229/280–1: 1950–1951, National Food Policy Review.Google Scholar
PRO, T 230/111: 1945–1946, National wages policy.Google Scholar
PRO, T 230/293: 1949, Wages and full employment policy.Google Scholar
PRO, T 234/670: 1956–1958, Permanent Secretary's Group on Wages and Prices.Google Scholar
Rollings, N. (1992), ‘The Reichstag method of governing? The Attlee governments and permanent economic controls’, in Mercer, H., Rollings, N. and Tomlinson, J. (eds.), Labour Governments and Private Industry, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Rollings, N. (1993), ‘Controls and Butskellism’, unpublished paper presented at Economic History Conference,Hull.Google Scholar
Tolliday, S. and Zeitlin, J. (1986), Shop Floor Bargaining and the State, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Tomlinson, J. (1991), ‘The Labour government and the trade unions’, in Tiratsoo, N., The Attlee Years, Pinter, London.Google Scholar
Tiratsoo, N. (1992), ‘The motor car industry’, in Mercer, H., Rollings, N. and Tomlinson, J. (eds.), Labour Governments and Private Industry, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Tiratsoo, N. and Tomlinson, J. (1993), Industrial Efficiency and State Regulation: Labour, 1939–51, Routledge, London.Google Scholar
TUC (1947), ‘Cost of living subsidies, profits, price control and wages’, 6 Nov. in MSS 292/181.25/1, Modern Record Centre (MRC), Warwick.Google Scholar
TUC (1949), Council's Supplementary Report to Congress at Bridlington: Research and Economic Supplementary Report C (Sept.): in MSS 292/110.44/2b, MRC Warwick.Google Scholar
TUC (1949), Minutes of NUM conference,29 Dec.in MSS 292/110.44/2b, MRC,Warwick.Google Scholar
TUC (1950), ‘The 1950 Budget and Food Subsidies’, 8 Mar. in MSS 292/181.25/1, MRC, Warwick.Google Scholar
TUC (1950), ‘Trade unions and wages policy’ (Trade Union Executive Committee Conference,12 Jan.)in MSS 292/110.44/2b: MRC,Warwick.Google Scholar
TUC (1955), letter to Nelson and Colne District Trades Council, May in MSS 292.182.1/4, MRC, Warwick.Google Scholar
Whiteside, N. (1987), ‘Social welfare and industrial relations, 1918–1939’ in Wrigley, C. J. (ed.), History of British Industrial Relations vol II, 1914–1939, Harvester, London.Google Scholar