The Conservative Party, Concerted Action and the West German economic model 1975-1981

Assessments of Thatcherism have emphasised its association with the American New Right. This article argues that the West German economic model shaped Conservative policy from 1975 to 1981, amidst concern about the perceived decline of Anglo-American capitalism. Leading Conservatives believed that W...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Contemporary British history 2021-01, Vol.35 (1), p.125-150
Main Author: Whisker, Ben
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Capitalism
Conservatism
Conservative party
Economic models
Employment policies
Geoffrey Howe
Inflation
ordoliberalism
Policy making
Politicians
Productivity
Right wing politics
Thatcherism
West Germany
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Assessments of Thatcherism have emphasised its association with the American New Right. This article argues that the West German economic model shaped Conservative policy from 1975 to 1981, amidst concern about the perceived decline of Anglo-American capitalism. Leading Conservatives believed that West Germany enjoyed low inflation and high productivity due to its form of liberal economics. Conservative policy-makers studied and considered emulating West German economic and labour policies, with the Concerted Action system being a particular focus. The German model was a key influence competing for attention from politicians committed to changing the Conservatives' direction in the late 1970s.
ISSN:1361-9462
1743-7997
DOI:10.1080/13619462.2021.1899913