Britain remains mired in the most severe and prolonged economic crisis that it has faced since the 1930s. The financial crash of 2007 brought British growth to a sharp halt, while the subsequent double-dip recession has eaten away at living standards and dampened future prospects. In such a context the question of growth has acquired a renewed urgency, taking centre stage within British politics. Britain's old growth model, based on asset price inflation in the housing market and cheap consumer credit, is now defunct. But, as yet, no credible alternative has been proposed. The old growth model is dying but a new one has yet to be born. The crisis has raised many questions about the future of British growth. Is the attempt to reduce deficits and lower debt the right strategy to foster long-term recovery? Can a new approach deliver growth that is socially and environmentally sustainable? And what can be done to ensure the benefits of growth are shared more evenly in the future? This important collection of essays by leading commentators seeks to provide some much-needed answers.

Table of Contents:
Introduction; Colin Hay and Jeremy Green PART I: DIAGNOSING THE CRISIS 1. Should the UK Continue to Follow Liberal Economic Policies? Ken Coutts and Graham Gudgin 2. UK Economic Performance Under New Labour: 1997-2010: Facts, Lessons and Pointers; Dan Corry 3. Anglo-American Financial Interdependence and the Rise of Income Inequality; Jeremy Green PART II: EVALUATING RESPONSES 1. Economic Recovery and the Politics of the Long-Term; Gerry Stoker 2. Public Policy Futures: A Left Trilemma?; Peter Taylor-Gooby 3. UK Macroeconomic Policy Debate and the British Growth Crisis: Debt and Deficit Discourse in the Great Recession; Ben Clift 4. The Final Nail in the Coffin? Crisis, Manufacturing Decline, and Why it Matters; Craig Berry PART III: GLOBAL, LOCAL AND SECTORAL DIMENSIONS 1. Local and Regional Economic Development in Britain; Danny MacKinnon, Andrew Cumbers and David Featherstone 2. Employment Protection Legislation and the Growth Crisis; Jason Heyes and Paul Lewis 3. Globalisation and the UK Economy since the 1990s; Jonathan Perraton 4. The Need for an Engaged, Expert and Inclusive British Capitalism; Paulina Ramirez and Andrew Tylecote PART IV: ALTERNATIVES BEYOND GROWTH? 1. A Feminist Critique of the 'Politics of Community'; Daniela Tepe 2. Towards a New Growth Strategy; Promoting Decent Work in the United Kingdom; Frank Pyke