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In Defence of Baird Textiles: A Sceptical View of Relational Contract Law

  • Chapter
Changing Concepts of Contract

Part of the book series: Palgrave Macmillan Socio-Legal Studies ((PSLS))

Abstract

For 30 years Baird Textiles was one of the four major clothing suppliers to the pre-eminent retailer of underwear to the middle classes, Marks and Spencer plc (M&S). But in October 1999, M&S informed Baird that at the end of the current production run it would place no further orders with the company. Baird claimed that ‘this sudden and unexpected cessation of their business relationship with M&S ha [d] caused them considerable loss’ (Baird Textile Holdings Ltd v Marks and Spencer plc QBD, 29 June 2000, unreported, Morison J, at [6]). Baird alleged that M&S had never before summarily terminated a relationship with any of its major suppliers (Baird’s particulars of claim, 9.23). Indeed, the chief executive of M&S had written to Baird’s chairman in December 1998 to affirm M&S’s relationship with its suppliers as a ‘fundamental asset’ and ‘point of competitive difference’ (Baird’s particulars of claim, 9.24).

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Authors
  1. Jonathan Morgan
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lancaster University, UK

    David Campbell

  2. London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

    Linda Mulcahy

  3. Queen’s University Belfast, UK

    Sally Wheeler

Copyright information

© 2013 Jonathan Morgan

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Cite this chapter

Morgan, J. (2013). In Defence of Baird Textiles: A Sceptical View of Relational Contract Law. In: Campbell, D., Mulcahy, L., Wheeler, S. (eds) Changing Concepts of Contract. Palgrave Macmillan Socio-Legal Studies. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-26927-0_8

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