Michael Perelman:
>
> I think that Godley may sign up to pen-l after he returns from England. I
> hope that we can discuss his paper fruitfully.
I'd be specially interested to discuss his views about import controls.
Mark
=====
This is very good news indeed. Can't remember where I came across it, but I
read an interview with Godley recently in which he talks about having to
teach himself economics while at HM Treasury in order to unlearn the rubbish
he was expected to practise/spout. This was at an important juncture for the
UK economy of course, as its perennial balance of payments problem was about
to be "addressed" once and for all by the IMF. It was at about this time
that Nicholas Kaldor also left his advisory position, having advocated
import controls only to be rebuffed by Healey et al. who went for the IMF
prescription. According to Mark Harmon, Kaldor and Godley were more or less
aligned with the Alternative Economic Strategy being cooked up by the Labour
Left (those were the days). Godley's fellow Cambridge Economic Policy Group
colleague, Francis Cripps, was part of Tony Benn's advisory team during the
1970s.
Godley used to be a regular contributor to the pre-New Labour New Statesman
(another case study in decline), penning the sort of stuff that congenital
optimist Doug H. would no doubt find reprehensible.
I'd like to know more about Kaldor's departure from the Treasury. I haven't
seen any discussion of it anywhere (e.g. Harmon's book, Healey's memoirs,
Targetti's book on Kaldor, David Smith). Thanks in advance.
Michael K.
