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From social contract to 'social contrick' : the depoliticisation of economic policy-making under Harold Wilson, 1974–75

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Rogers, Chris (Christopher James). (2009) From social contract to 'social contrick' : the depoliticisation of economic policy-making under Harold Wilson, 1974–75. British Journal of Politics and International Relations, The, Vol.11 (No.4). pp. 634-651. ISSN 1369-1481

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-856X.2009.00382.x

Abstract

The 1974-79 Labour Governments were elected on the basis of an agreement with the TUC promising a redistribution of income and wealth known as the Social Contract. However, the Government immediately began to marginalise these commitments in favour of preferences for incomes policy and public expenditure cuts, which has led the Social Contract to be described as the 'Social Contrick'. These changes were legitimised through a process of depoliticisation, and using an Open Marxist framework and evidence from the National Archives, the paper will show that the Treasury's exchange rate strategy and the need to secure external finance placed issues of confidence at the centre of political debate, allowing the Government to argue there was no alternative to the introduction of incomes policy and the reduction of public expenditure.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions

Divisions:

Faculty of Social Sciences > Politics and International Studies

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1964-1979, Great Britain -- Economic policy -- 1964-1979, Social contract, Wage-price policy -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century, Great Britain -- Appropriations and expenditures -- History -- 20th century

Journal or Publication Title:

British Journal of Politics and International Relations, The

Publisher:

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

ISSN:

1369-1481

Official Date:

November 2009

Dates:

Date	Event
November 2009	Published

Volume:

Vol.11

Number:

No.4

Page Range:

pp. 634-651

Identification Number:

10.1111/j.1467-856X.2009.00382.x

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Access rights to Published version:

Restricted or Subscription Access

Funder:

Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)

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