The British Government and the City of London in the Twentieth Century

Description

The relationship between the British government and the City of London has become central to debates on modern British economic, political and social life. For some the City's financial and commercial interests have exercised a dominant influence over government economic policy, creating a preoccupation with international markets and the strength of sterling which impaired domestic industrial and social well-being. Others have argued that government seriously constricted financial markets, jeopardising Britain's most successful economic sector. This collection of essays is the first book to address these issues over the entire twentieth century. It brings together leading financial and political historians to assess the government-City relationship from several directions and by examination of key episodes. As such, it will be indispensable not just for the study of modern British politics and finance, but also for assessment of the worldwide problem of tensions between national governments and international financial centres.

Ranald Michie is Professor of History at the University of Durham. His many publications in international financial history include The London and New York Stock Exchanges 1850-1914 (1987), The City of London: Continuity and Change Since 1850 (1992), and The London Stock Exchange: A History (1999). Philip Williamson is Professor of History at the University of Durham, and author of National Crisis and National Government: British Politics, the Economy and Empire 1926-1932 (1992) and Stanley Baldwin: Conservative Leadership and National Values (1999). He is also the author of articles on interwar politics and finance.

'The essays are of a highly quality and will add enormously to our understanding of twentieth-century economic history.' Contemporary Review