British Business and Protection 1903-1932

This is the first detailed examination of the attitude of Edwardian businessmen and their interwar successors to the crucial issue of free trade versus protection. Looking at business involvement in the campaign for Tariff Reform, Andrew Marrison presents new analyses of pressure and propaganda groups such as the Tariff Commission, the Empire Industries Association, the Federation of British Industries, and the chambers of commerce. He concludes that the position of businessmen, especially manufacturers, in British politics was weak and undeveloped, and that the Edwardians' fear of protectionist vested interests was highly exaggerated.