The Welfare State in Britain since 1945

The first full historical account of welfare policy in postwar Britain, analysing first the so-called period of consensus between 1945 and 1975 and then the years between 1975 and 1990 when state welfare came under ideological attack. It provides a clear assessment of the relative successes and failures of governments in social and employment policy. It also provides a guide to competing theoretical approaches to the analysis of welfare policy, as well as sufficient statistical evidence to permit readers to form their own judgements.