Playing the defence card: Local authority responses to the 1992 regional policy consultation paper

Outline

After two decades or more of hope, the jubilation over the relaxing of the “cold war” is tempered in those localities dependent in some way on the defence industries. In June 1992, the UK government produced a consultation paper on the topic of regional industrial policy and this provided an opportunity for defence‐related local authorities to “flag up” their problems. The review event offers a common reference activity around which to compare the occurrence and the nature of local reactions. This article investigates the responses from a large sample of these local authorities, exploring the arguments put forward, the representations made, and the strategies deployed. It also tries to account for the various attitudes and reports on the outcome of the review process. Amongst an array of interesting findings, the analysis reveals a range of response strategies by local authorities and a variety of attitudes to policy support.