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Market potential in British regions, 1871-1931

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  • Crafts, Nicholas

Abstract

This paper constructs measures of market potential for British regions based on the spatial distribution of GDP and its accessibility. The results show that the North, Scotland and Wales were much less 'peripheral' before World War I than in 1985. The main reason for the deterioration in their position was changing transport costs. The marginalization of coastal shipping and the rise of road haulage had markedly accentuated the 'peripherality' of outer Britain by 1931. The sensitivity of market potential to changes in relative transport costs has gone unnoticed but it underlines the danger of conflating 'peripherality' with competitiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Crafts, Nicholas, 2004. "Market potential in British regions, 1871-1931," Economic History Working Papers 22556, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:wpaper:22556
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    File URL: https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/22556/
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard Anthony, 1993. "The Scottish agricultural labour market, 1900-1939: a case of institutional intervention," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 46(3), pages 558-574, August.
    2. repec:ehl:wpaper:22557 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Antoni Estevadeordal & Brian Frantz & Alan M. Taylor, 2003. "The Rise and Fall of World Trade, 1870–1939," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(2), pages 359-407.
    4. Nicholas Crafts & Abay Mulatu, 2005. "What explains the location of industry in Britain, 1871–1931?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 5(4), pages 499-518, August.
    5. Frank Geary & Tom Stark, 2002. "Examining Ireland"s Post--famine Economic Growth Performance," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(482), pages 919-935, October.
    6. O Grada, Cormac, 1995. "Ireland: A New Economic History 1780-1939," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198205982.
    7. K.H. Midelfart & H.G. Overman & S.J. Redding & A.J. Venables, 2000. "The location of European industry," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 142, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
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    Cited by:

    1. Crafts, Nicholas & Mulatu, Abay, 2004. "How did the location of industry respond to falling transport costs in Britain before World War 1?," Economic History Working Papers 22555, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    2. Martin Eriksson, 2011. "The Challenges of Including Political Economy Research in Regional Economic History," ERSA conference papers ersa10p1642, European Regional Science Association.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • N0 - Economic History - - General
    • L91 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Transportation: General
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General
    • B1 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

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