The performance of British manufacturing in the Post-War long boom

This article questions the notion which has gained ground recently in the writing of Booth and others that British manufacturing did not fail in the post-Second World War long boom, 1950–1973. By all the traditional measures of performance – output growth rates, productivity growth rates and levels, exports, and profitability – it can be re-affirmed that British manufacturing was out-competed by her rivals. Booth, Broadberry and others have also argued that manufacturing is of less importance to economic growth than services; this too is questioned.