The birth of a politician: Harold Wilson and the bonfires of controls, 1948-9

This article uses a detailed examination on the 1948 and 1949 Bonfires of Controls to reassess Harold Wilson's development as a politician and examine the broader relationship between popular politics and economic policy. Whilst acknowledging the continued importance of the latter within Wilson's self-identification as a modernizing 'specialist', it contends that these events are best viewed as representing the birth of a professional politician. It will show that, although economically motivated, there was a marked disparity between each Bonfire's illusion and reality. Far from being entirely rational, each announcement straddled the gap between politics and economics. Within a post-war political landscape that had seen debates about controls become increasingly emotive, Wilson used the Bonfires to seize advantage. As a result, they can be seen to signify the point of his development from a self-identified professional economist to an astute political actor. © The Author [2013]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/tcbh/hws044