Letter, 3 March 2010
A letter signed by twenty economic historians in the H&P Network was published in the Guardian. The signatories warn against immediate cuts in public spending and urge support for knowledge-based economic growth. They argue that British public debt is actually relatively low, both in historical and international contexts, and urge policymakers to maintain spending on the knowledge economy, which will contribute to economic growth and speed up repayment of the debt. The letter was initiated by Glen O'Hara of Oxford Brookes University and H&P co-founder Simon Szreter. Other signatories include Professors Martin Daunton, Jane Humphries and Jim Tomlinson.
Read the letter.
The letter was discussed in Madeleine Bunting's article on cuts.
See also: How (not) to cut government spending and reduce public sector debt by Glen O'Hara, and browse other H&P papers on economic history.
