Presented by Dr Leon Gooberman, Cardiff University
Abstract
Throughout the twentieth century, Wales underwent rapid and far-reaching economic upheavals on such a scale that few avoided their impacts – from recessions, war, changing fortunes within the iconic steel and coal industries, the rise and decline of manufacturing, as well as the gradual rise of the service sector – the changes were as dramatic as was the intensity of attempts to deal with their consequences. Wales was a laboratory for government intervention, ranging from the attraction of investment and the clearance of land made derelict by industry, to the regeneration of urban areas. This session outlines why, how and with what effect governments intervened, before asking if previous interventions contain lessons for contemporary policymakers.