Whitelocke
@cokeynesian.bsky.social
Ideologically idiosyncratic. On polichron.substack.com
I broadly agree. My own view is that British "decline" was an exaggerated response to some very real problems.
November 15, 2025 at 8:35 PM
I broadly agree. My own view is that British "decline" was an exaggerated response to some very real problems.
If you look at a sector-by-sector breakdown of West German vs. UK productivity, it's clear that West Germans were ahead of the UK in almost every industrial sector in the 1970s. Still, some are clearly worse than others (e.g. Iron & Steel).
November 15, 2025 at 8:19 PM
If you look at a sector-by-sector breakdown of West German vs. UK productivity, it's clear that West Germans were ahead of the UK in almost every industrial sector in the 1970s. Still, some are clearly worse than others (e.g. Iron & Steel).
The UK was about 15% behind Germany in terms of GDP per capita in 1979 and 30% behind in manufacturing productivity. A significant gap, but not enormous.
open.substack.com/pub/polichro...
open.substack.com/pub/polichro...
Why Britain Fell Behind, Part 2: Measuring Decline
Let's Measure
open.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 8:09 PM
The UK was about 15% behind Germany in terms of GDP per capita in 1979 and 30% behind in manufacturing productivity. A significant gap, but not enormous.
open.substack.com/pub/polichro...
open.substack.com/pub/polichro...
The British must be happy since they make a lot of the Gripen's components.
November 15, 2025 at 3:24 PM
The British must be happy since they make a lot of the Gripen's components.
Though the rot had already set in with the British economy by that point. The long shadow of not being a founding member of the EEC.
November 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Though the rot had already set in with the British economy by that point. The long shadow of not being a founding member of the EEC.
Eh, neither of them was inevitable. The weakness of sterling stemmed from weak monetary policy (and, in Wilson's case, from refusing to bite the bullet and devalue), whilst the industrial issues would have been considerably reduced if In Place of Strife had been implemented.
November 15, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Eh, neither of them was inevitable. The weakness of sterling stemmed from weak monetary policy (and, in Wilson's case, from refusing to bite the bullet and devalue), whilst the industrial issues would have been considerably reduced if In Place of Strife had been implemented.
Yeah, people don't want land, they want homes. And you can fit a lot more homes onto the same land area than London currently does.
November 14, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Yeah, people don't want land, they want homes. And you can fit a lot more homes onto the same land area than London currently does.
You do realise that you can build upwards?
November 13, 2025 at 3:17 PM
You do realise that you can build upwards?
Income inequality by most metrics has been pretty stagnant since the late 1980s.
November 13, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Income inequality by most metrics has been pretty stagnant since the late 1980s.
This is complete and utter nonsense. Texas is more unequal than the UK, yet house prices aren't anywhere near as absurd. The same is true of interwar Britain.
November 13, 2025 at 2:23 PM
This is complete and utter nonsense. Texas is more unequal than the UK, yet house prices aren't anywhere near as absurd. The same is true of interwar Britain.
The extent to which they screw over their own voters is remarkable.
November 13, 2025 at 2:09 PM
The extent to which they screw over their own voters is remarkable.
WASPI is what happens when boomers get the slightest taste of what being a young person in the last 20 years has been like.
November 13, 2025 at 1:53 PM
WASPI is what happens when boomers get the slightest taste of what being a young person in the last 20 years has been like.
It never ceases to amaze me that this isn't the defining issue of British politics.
Under 40s really count for nothing in the UK.
Under 40s really count for nothing in the UK.
November 13, 2025 at 1:34 PM
It never ceases to amaze me that this isn't the defining issue of British politics.
Under 40s really count for nothing in the UK.
Under 40s really count for nothing in the UK.
California-level house prices with wages half as big.
November 13, 2025 at 1:22 PM
California-level house prices with wages half as big.
Yeah, I've noticed that quite a few conservative outlets often have excellent coverage of niche topics.
November 12, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Yeah, I've noticed that quite a few conservative outlets often have excellent coverage of niche topics.
A modest proposal for restructuring the UK police:
- Royal Union Police (RUP): nationwide civil police, replacing the NCA and the MET's nationwide functions.
- Royal Mounted Constabulary (RMC): a nationwide gendarmerie for public order and other tasks.
- Local, territorial police forces.
- Royal Union Police (RUP): nationwide civil police, replacing the NCA and the MET's nationwide functions.
- Royal Mounted Constabulary (RMC): a nationwide gendarmerie for public order and other tasks.
- Local, territorial police forces.
November 11, 2025 at 11:40 PM
A modest proposal for restructuring the UK police:
- Royal Union Police (RUP): nationwide civil police, replacing the NCA and the MET's nationwide functions.
- Royal Mounted Constabulary (RMC): a nationwide gendarmerie for public order and other tasks.
- Local, territorial police forces.
- Royal Union Police (RUP): nationwide civil police, replacing the NCA and the MET's nationwide functions.
- Royal Mounted Constabulary (RMC): a nationwide gendarmerie for public order and other tasks.
- Local, territorial police forces.
Keynes and Hayek both strongly identified as liberals.
November 11, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Keynes and Hayek both strongly identified as liberals.
Thatcher's central plank ─ monetarism ─ was abandoned in her first term, but she still won due to other events.
November 11, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Thatcher's central plank ─ monetarism ─ was abandoned in her first term, but she still won due to other events.
Smith, like many Americans, is desperately searching for comfort to help him deal with the state of his own country.
November 11, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Smith, like many Americans, is desperately searching for comfort to help him deal with the state of his own country.
Yeah but economic history nowadays is mostly a subset of economics, practised by people trained as economists (as Tooze was).
November 11, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Yeah but economic history nowadays is mostly a subset of economics, practised by people trained as economists (as Tooze was).
Northern Ireland was not unresolved because the parties involved were too pig-headed or vain. There was a basic conflict between deeply held principles on both sides that could not be waved away.
November 11, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Northern Ireland was not unresolved because the parties involved were too pig-headed or vain. There was a basic conflict between deeply held principles on both sides that could not be waved away.
And you're point is?
November 11, 2025 at 12:10 AM
And you're point is?
Yes, and the Sunningdale Agreement in 1973 effectively accepted the Irish border because it stated that the status of Northern Ireland could not be changed without the "consent" of its people. And everyone knew that consent wouldn't happen any time soon.
November 10, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Yes, and the Sunningdale Agreement in 1973 effectively accepted the Irish border because it stated that the status of Northern Ireland could not be changed without the "consent" of its people. And everyone knew that consent wouldn't happen any time soon.
The German-Polish border wasn't formally settled until 1990, not that long before the GFA settled the Irish border.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German%...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German%...
German–Polish Border Treaty - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 10, 2025 at 11:49 PM
The German-Polish border wasn't formally settled until 1990, not that long before the GFA settled the Irish border.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German%...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German%...