The Unbalanced Economy: A Policy Appraisal [Hardcover]

During the 1980s Britain became one of the world's most market-oriented economies, an approach which resulted in three severe recessions and a deepening degree of inequality. This book argues that a rebalancing of the economy will remain elusive until proactive policies are implemented at the corporate and industrial level.Economic Performance in the Market Era Investment, The Labour Market and Economic Policy The Question of International Competitiveness Capital Investment: A Neglected Issue Underinvestment or/and Overinvestment? Global Finance, Industry and Shareholder Value Reforms to Corporate Governance A Look Ahead

Einstein once described insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This important book persuasively demonstrates that a misguided faith in market forces has made Britain prone to booms and busts since the late 1970s and left a dangerously unbalanced economy exposed when the financial storm broke in 2007. - Larry Elliott, Economics Editor, The Guardian

This is a refreshing look at the underlying problems faced by the UK economy, problems which the recent financial crisis and recession have highlighted. If we are to achieve sustainable and equitable growth in the future, then our government has to be prepared to take a fresh look at how and when it is willing to interfere with the free market. The book makes this point excellently in a number of dimensions, not least in the need to have a more active industrial strategy concerned with the balance and quality of production. - Ken Mayhew - Professor of Education and Economic Performance and Director of ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance, University of Oxford, UK

The world financial crisis has led to a concern about rebalancing the UK economy away from financial services and to a revival of interest in industrial policy. This book critically assesses the economic record of the UK in lâ