This is a political history of Labour's use of the tax system from 1906 to 1979; an epilogue brings the story up to the present, surveying New Labour's tax policies and dilemmas. Richard Whiting's lucid and readable study examines how Labour used taxation to further its political aims: to fund welfare, manage the economy, promote fairness and achieve greater equality. This study sheds new light on Labour's history, and is a valuable contribution to understanding both the tax structure and the politics of twentieth-century Britain more generally.

This innovative book provides an essential historical perspective on the boundaries of the state in modern Britain. At a time of intense debate about the state, the collection of interdisciplinary studies gathered here emphasizes the sheer variety of public involvement in British life, the ebb and flow of that involvement and its dynamics, and the wider implications this has for civil society and intellectual life. These new essays contribute to current debates not only by providing a historical analysis but also by looking to future developments.

This innovative book provides an essential historical perspective on the boundaries of the state in modern Britain. At a time of intense debate about the state, the collection of interdisciplinary studies gathered here emphasizes the sheer variety of public involvement in British life, the ebb and flow of that involvement and its dynamics, and the wider implications this has for civil society and intellectual life. These new essays contribute to current debates not only by providing a historical analysis but also by looking to future developments.