Economic Growth and the British Balance of Payments

Abstract

There are two conflicting views about the effect of economic growth on the balance of payments, and this conflict is illustrated by the contrast between the words and actions of United Kingdom governments in recent years. On the one hand ministers have frequently stated that higher productivity, harder work, and all the factors which could lead to faster economic growth would lead to a greatly improved British balance of payments and to a solution to Britain’s economic problems. On the other hand, by their actions, British governments have clearly taken the view that the reduction of the growth rate of the British economy to 1 per cent of zero would lead to a substantially improved balance of payments.

First published 1967.