Welfarism anew? : territorial politics and inter-war state housing in three Lancashire towns

Hudson, William. (2002) Welfarism anew? : territorial politics and inter-war state housing in three Lancashire towns. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to examine the nature and complexion of territorial politics and central/local relations in the policy field of inter-war state-aided housing policy in the United Kingdom and specifically in the three case studies in Blackburn, Preston and Wigan. In particular, can territorial relations, from 1926, be classified as 'low politics', (Bulpitt 1983) with an operational code of 'mutual deference and frigidity' (Bulpitt) and with an attitudinal complexion of 'mutual deference to local possessive pluralism'? (Bellamy 1988). The hypotheses are that in the policy field of inter-war, state-aided housing, from 1917/18 onwards, the nature of territorial politics changed. Political, ideological, economic, social and institutional changes were driven by the fear of revolution and were to have a significant impact on the way centra/local relations were conducted from 1919. Furthermore state-aided housing policy was the genesis of welfarism anew. Policy emerged as 'path dependant' (Peters 1999) and continued to influence and shape both national and local politics and the way the centre and periphery interacted. The results of these extensive changes, suggests that territorial interaction thereafter, and the nature of policy provision, in the field of inter-war housing policy should be regarded as 'high politics'. It was not a policy field that could be left to peripheral government, or characterised by 'mutual deference and frigidity'. Consequently, the implementation of policy shaped territorial politics, and attitudinal change, at both levels of government, emerged as changing mindsets, in both polities, evolved during the inter-war period. The questions investigated are: did a fundamental shift occur in politics, economics and welfarism, in 1919? (Hall 1986; Kuhn 1969). Can it be argued that once ideational change had occurred in 1919 policy became 'path dependent'? (Peters 1999). Furthermore, did a stuctured polity exist in the form of a tripartite relationship in territorial politics? What was the nature and complexion of central/local relations exhibited in the case studies, and, were they more complex, intensive, and interactive than Bulpitt suggests? Finally, how and why did the attitudes of 'mutual deference to local possessive pluralism', and 'local possessive pluralism' itself, (Bellamy 1988) begin to change as the mindsets in central and local government altered? These issues are investigated in terms of their effects upon inter-war state-aided housing policy when applied to the case studies in Blackburn, Preston and Wigan.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	23 Oct 2023 09:57
Last Modified:	23 Oct 2023 10:05
DOI:	10.17638/03175848
Copyright Statement:	Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis and any accompanying data (where applicable) are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge.
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3175848