2. Structural changes in the British economy

- traditional industries in South Wales, Merseyside, the Midlands, North East England and Scotland have lost their important role à unemployment and poverty in these parts

- rise of new, fast expanding industries

- light and high-tech industries (aerospace,computer manufactoring, chemical pharmaceutical and plastic industries)are settled mainly in the London conurbation 1

- discovery and exploitation of North sea oil and gas à new petrochemical industry in North East Scotland, Orkney and Shetland Islands

- change in the econ. structure from manufactoring to service industries

- London has maintained and streghtened ist position as international trading centre

3. The British economy in the 80´s and 90´s

Thatcherism: -reform policy in the 80´s

-intended to create an economic climate of competition, -government influenced economy

-the Blair government accepts these reforms,but fine tune them

Economic Growth: -caused by strengthening competition, reducing tax rates,

Inflation: -the Tories have successfully fought inflation under Thatcher

Trade Union Policy: -between 1980 and 1983, different Employment Acts gave

-since then, the industrial power of unions had

Privatization: -the Torie reforms during the 80´s intended to privatize

-electricity, gas, water, British Airways and British Rail

Housing: -council houses ⁷ were selledà higher house prices à inflation

increased

-boom ended in 1988; in 1991, the government introduced measures to protect houseowners -now, houses are built for the private sector -between 1994 and 95, the government financed 100 million pounds to help people moving to these private houses -council houses are re-let to families in great housing need

¹ Ballungsraum ⁴ handeln

² Sparpolitik

³ Gewerkschaften ⁶ Aktionäre

4. Unsolved Problems

Unemployment: -the Conservative governments of the 80´s and early 90´s

The Two Britains: -Britain is geographically, economically, socially and

-there is new prosperity in the South on the one hand -new industry branches developed in the South and this

Shortage 1 of Skilled: -the shortage of vocational ² training and technical

¹ beruflich

² Mangel, Knappheit