Economic Situation

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 10 March 1947.

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Photo of Mr Robert Boothby Mr Robert Boothby , Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire Eastern 12:00, 10 March 1947

At the moment I happen to be talking about this country. However, I am quite sure that in America they do not have to pass a Bill every time they want statistics, so the hon. Member's interjection is very helpful. I am only arguing that we could get statistics without a Bill.

I have a sustained argument to address to the House, which I am afraid will take a few minutes—quite a few minutes. We listened to the President of the Board of Trade, for what seemed to me to he a sizeable amount of time, in complete silence, and with very good will, so I hope hon. Members opposite will allow me to develop my argument. The right hon. and learned Gentleman tells us that we are now to have co-operation in industry. That is very good. I only say, I should hope so. But why did not it happen a year and a half ago? Why, particularly, have not the Government long ago called in the technical experts and production managers of industry? We do not want only the chairmen, managing-directors and trade union officials. We want the actual men who are running the job on the spot. Why has the right hon. and learned Gentleman not got hold of them? If he is now going to get hold of them, what for? What is it all about? What does he want to do?

I quite agree, there are some people who do not want a plan of any kind. There are some people who think we ought to return to the laissez faire economy of the 19th century, and to the price mechanism of the free market. There is a good deal to be said for their point of view, though I do not happen to agree with them, for reasons which are familiar to the House. I do not think it is possible or desirable for this country, in present circumstances, to go back to a free market economy. I believe that following the war we must have a long-term, overall plan for the economic reconstruction of this country.

I would remind the House that such a plan, a four-year plan, was, in fact, promised by the Coalition Government. If the Coalition Government had continued, that plan would have been duly presented to the nation. I agree there is an alternative, which is to return to laissez faire. But I cannot for the life of me see the point of a planned economy without a plan. That seems to me to be getting the worst of every world, and leading nowhere. If I am asked, "What plan?" I point to M. Monnet's master-plan for France. It differs fundamentally from the White Paper with which we are confronted today. This White Paper is a diagnosis. M. Monnet's plan is also a diagnosis; but it prescribes a cure at the same time. There is not much cure about the present White Paper, however hard we look at it. Moreover, M. Monnet's plan is not based on a preconceived political doctrine of any kind, but upon the reality of clinically established facts.