Nigeria and the Oil Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nigeria and the Oil Industry - Essay Example The paper also includes governmental policies with respect to oil industry. Trade Theory The companies do not necessarily trade to take advantages of the difference in their production and manufacturing capabilities but also to get benefit of the increasing returns. International trade has emerged over a period of time to be recognised as a key component in a nation’s growth and to enhance its economic performance. The new trade theory as introduced included a concept of ‘interindustry trade’. This allowed the trading practice between various industries belonging to different economies (Menipaz & Menipaz, 2011). The trade theory also states that the government of the nations can adopt necessary measures in developing the economic conditions of the citizens. The government of Nigeria is needed to take necessary steps involving the international trade practices (Bergoeing, 2003). A company is said to have achieved absolute advantage if it is capable of producing mor e goods than its competitors with the utilisation of same amount of resources or manufactures same quantity of goods with the utilization of minimum resources compared to its competitors. In this context, it is worth mentioning that Nigeria being one of the largest reserve nations of natural resources could have gained this advantage but due to the lack in advanced amenities and structures, and adequate law enforcement, the nation is deprived of this advantage (Bergoeing, 2003). In the era of international business, economic as well as social importances of international trade have played their role as the deriving theories influencing the international trading business (The Economy Watch, 2010). The Nigerian oil industry is facing instability with respect to declining condition of Niger delta adversely affecting the national economy and the sustainable growth of the related industry. Nigeria is included among the top ten nations that are considered to have richest reserves of oil o r natural resources. The main problem of Nigeria is that it has certain lacking in terms of advanced technology and infrastructure related to oil industry. As one of the major impacts of globalisation, the industry is facing tremendous competition from the outsiders (Foreign competitors). As stated by Adolor Uwamu, CEO of Seawolf Oilfield Services, the drilling for oil and gas is being carried out by the foreign companies in Nigeria and this has been a factor for the past 40 years (CNN, 2011; The Economy Watch, 2010). Participation of Nigerian Oil Industry in International Trade Nigeria’s international trade and export is significantly dependent on the oil and natural gas industry. After the introduction of economic reforms which was in the year 2005, the government of Nigeria has paid adequate attention in diversifying the nation’s export related profile. Oil and natural gas are considered as the primary products that are being exported of Nigeria. The nation is noted to export about 2.327 million of barrels daily, according to statistics of the year 2007 (The Economy Watch, 2010) as illustrated in the below figure: Nigeria’s Export Volume Source: (The Economy Watch, 2010). Globalisation and Regionalisation Nigerian government has taken necessary steps to reduce the exploitation of oil of Niger delta and declination of oil

Team Working Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Team Working - Essay Example As consent issues are a huge topic, it is paramount that the papers are correct. In keeping with my continuing education, I am required to attend classes, which focus on the specific topics. One week, I attended a lecture on patient consent and its issues. The team worked in accordance to plan. However, it should be noted, there were some changes of schedule that were helpful. It was interesting in considerations to light in regard to leadership and teamwork. The primary goal is to define competence. Conceptualizing competence in this author's eyes would involve three components of knowledge competency, skill competency and attitude competency. The descriptions of each denote the most effective components of leadership. The model presented offers this information and includes general education, knowledge and skills, experience, management knowledge and skills and professional contributions. In this relation, it should be mentioned that team worked accordingly. However, there were occasional problems but were negotiated well enough. There were occasional problems. There was one incident where someone did not attend. Under such conditions, it became very hard to meet ends. I emailed constantly until I got a response. It was frustrating but I persisted with my goal. I understand the ability to overcome challenges while working in a team under nursing parameters is a very important challenge it needs to overcome. The relation between the individual of the team and the team present in the team's plays a crucial role in not only expansion and development of the team however as well for quandary free performance as a whole. The emphasis should be on good relationships and sound terms and conditions of understanding between team members with consent of all the parties. Work Completed As per the graph presented, it is obvious that the major part of the job or data mining has been completed well within schedule and it can be stated that the job completed was satisfying. The main jobs done during this period were completion of literature review, collection of interviews and transcribe of interviews. There was enough information collected to start the process analysis. It did appear that the team had worked together and instrumented as unit. It is true that while working there was incidents of drift and fragmentations within the team. However, in the long run every student of the team realized that to yield effective and positive result it is required to approach the job on the plan that was chalked in the beginning. Thus, once the students understood the usefulness of team collaboration every aspect was placed accordingly. The main team strategy that was formulated can be identified as progress and check method. Here each student was scheduled to do a job that was further sub divided into parts. After the completion of each part there was a meeting among the students who would then evaluate the job done and pass a verdict whether it is needed to re do the part or not. In a way, this method of operation was tedious and slow. It can be stated that in future team presentation the students would approach in a different method. As a result, I feel that there is enough scope of improvement in the context of presentation strategy. It is my view that the students would

Leadership is simply about 'getting the job done'. Discuss in relation Essay

Leadership is simply about 'getting the job done'. Discuss in relation to concepts and conflicts - Essay Example On average, a manager’s job would be to administer things as per the managerial continuity and integrity. This paper will examine the existing theoretical concepts in relation to leadership. Also, conflicts might arise in the case all the theories are applied in one go. The paper would examine the possible conflicts too. Key Concepts Introduction: The following discussion would cover the key concepts in relation to management and how a job should be executed. It also focuses on management and corporate strategy in relation to leadership. Discussion: If a job is to be done, it is not likely that one does it single-handedly in today’s complex socio-psychological environment. He or she would need a team, hence the formation of workgroups. In a workgroup, the goals must be shared, group values must be specified, decision must be based on consensus and evaluation must be constantly done. Moreover, in order to get the job done, some other ethical values like mutual trust, ded icated participation and respect for each other must be ushered (McGregor, Bennis and Schein, 1966). In doing the job, the leader must understand the relationship between behaviour and performance among his or her subordinates. Reinforcement Theory explicates the concept as such that a rewarded behaviour is more likely to be repeated while a behaviour that is punished is less likely to be repeated. The concept of reward and punishment is necessary and thus simply getting the job done may be insufficient (Keller, 1969). Figure - 1 Goal setting is also important because neither the leader nor his or her subordinates are supposed to know what to do if no goal is set at all (Brenda Devis, 1988). Again, according to Adam’s Equity Theory, the extent of equity that an individual would observe in relation to a work situation would proportionally affect his or her job performance and satisfaction (Kinicki, 2009). However, management in the real world cannot be completely based on theo ries only. To get the job done, the leader must handle general management and show skills in operational systems. A manager uses management tools to manage people and resources, while the leader is supposed to use the same tools innovatively. This is beyond simply completing the job. The fundamental questions like â€Å"What is management?† and â€Å"What is business?† should be explored with support from practical experiences. Techniques and tools like networks of critical path, cash flow and inventory control add more dimensions to decision making (Payne, Chelsom and Reavill, 2004). In getting the job done, the leader must not remain in the constraints of that job only. He or she must understand business failure or success is primarily dependent on how diverse areas of function in management can be combined to deliver and produce value to the different stakeholders. Corporate strategy in the form of functional integration is imperative in orchestration with the compl ex and dynamic corporate environment (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2005) Summary: The key concepts in relation to leadership and ‘getting the job done’ are discussed. Stress has been put on: 1. Workgroup functionality 2. Reinforcement Th

Final Exam essay on Paradise Lost Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Exam on Paradise Lost - Essay Example However, this degree of expansion, as one might predict, takes a bit of liberty with the original storyline that is developed within the first few chapters of Genesis. As a means of analyzing this differential, the following analysis will seek to engage the reader with a further explanation and discussion of the ways in which John Milton deviates from an understanding of biblical theology that is represented within Genesis 1. As such, rather than taking the entire point in seeking to categorize and differentiate the ways in which deviation occurs, the following analysis will be concentric upon book 7 lines 387 to 448. In such a way, and analysis and discussion of the fifth day of creation will be leveraged. Firstly, the corresponding Scripture that this particular passage in Milton’s book 7 references is Genesis 1 verses 20 through 22. As might be expected, the level of development and discussion that exists within the few verses is quite sustained and brief. Ultimately, Genes is 1 verses 20-22 merely denote that God created fish, sea life, and all birds, reptiles, and other winged creatures. Yet, with this in mind, an interesting oversight that John Milton evidently made within book 7 is with respect to the assumption that reptiles, at the very least snakes, could somehow be separated from other winged and flying creatures. Although this may seem as an obvious assumption, a further reading and interpretation of the Genesis story, made by many Biblical scholars to include Martin Luther, relates the fact that serpents were originally a creature of intense beauty that were only cursed to crawl on their belly after the deception that Satan perpetrated (Pelham 367). Within such an understanding, John Milton’s book 7 lines 388 through 389 denote something of a different understanding. Says Milton â€Å"reptile with spawn abundant, living soul: and let fowl fly above the earth, with wings† (Milton book VII 388-389). Although he comes short of outr ight saying it, the obvious assertion is that serpents and reptiles were separate from flying creatures and therefore need to be categorized in a different way. Whereas it is obviously true that such a reality existed for Milton within his own lifetime, a full and complete understanding of Genesis reveals a slightly different reality. A further element that is not discussed specifically within the Bible or within Milton’s â€Å"Paradise Lost† is with respect to an understanding and discussion of mutating creation. After the fall of man, within the biblical narrative, God instructed the earth to bring forth vessels and man to struggle with hard labor as a function of the rebellion that he had committed against God. By much the same token, the harmony that the animal kingdom had lived in was changed so that beast preyed upon beast and a type of mutating creation came to be in existence. Once again, Milton’s approach to this was merely to gloss over such a reality and exhibit creation from the perspective of being unchanged since God spake it into existence. Says Milton within lines 408 and 409, â€Å"moist nutriment; or under rocks their food/in jointed armor watch: on smooth the seal† (Milton Book VII 408-409). As such, a clear understanding of the fact that the fifth day of creation saw a time in which God created armor and scales or animals to protect themselves from predators is clearly denoted. However, a further understanding and analysis of the book of

Explain how lean just-in-time has broader application to a range of Essay

Explain how lean just-in-time has broader application to a range of manufacturing and service operations - Essay Example In order to react quickly to the ever growing and changing customer demands, there is a need for efficient manufacturing system that are capable of expanding and re-configuring during their course of operation. It should also have the ability to accommodate new procedures in the assembly techniques in such a way that it does not make any investments for manufacturing obsolete products (Fliedner, 2011). The lean manufacturing concept is also applicable to the service operation. There have been huge changes in the service operation too from that of the past. The lean principle for the continuous improvement and respect for the employees are applied to every service. It includes the healthcare services, call centre services, higher education, public and professional services and also in the software development services. The Lean manufacturing approach in both the manufacturing and services operation highly depends on the workplace organization and the flexibility of the production syst em. Lean manufacturing can be defined as an outstanding initial point for the companies those who want to create a fresh and new look for their existing manufacturing system by introducing innovative methods of production. ... The environment is cautiously tuned in accordance with the demands of the manufacturers (McGiven, 2013). The manufacturing of the products are carried out once at a time, after getting confirmation from the customers and are not done in batches, which adds up to the stock of the companies if not sold. The main goal of the lean manufacturing is to produce what is needed and not more than that. As there is production of limited number of products, it is important to change the processes during the day. It is required so as to accommodate various parts of the products and employ maximum effort from the workers, proper utilisation of the equipments and the floor space so as to save the scarce resources (Wincel, 2004). The flexibility that is inbuilt in the manual assembly cells is preferable for the automated assemblies. Thus, there is a prerequisite for the utmost flexibility so as to create unique demands on lean work cells and also, for the mechanism that are used for making the lean work cells. However, it can be observed that the lean approach is not always a resolution for the manufacturing problems. It is realised that it offers unique flexibility to the solutions for the assembling of the complex products. The essay thus elaborates the principle and the techniques of the lean management along with examples (Toyota Production System). It also highlights the lean just-in-time practice that is exercised by the companies. The essay also highlights the assumption whether lean principles can be applied in the low volume high variety manufacturing. Lean Management Principles and Techniques (including Just-in-time) The lean concept originated from the Japanese manufacturing areas. Lean can be described as the group of tools

Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Term Paper

Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering - Term Paper Example In the field of biotechnology, modern techniques enable the genes to be removed from one organism and inserted into another in order to produce a desired substance, for example, Insulin. Another example is of fire fly. When a gene of fire fly is introduced into tobacco protoplast, the gene produces an enzyme, luciferase. When adult plant is sprayed with substrate luciferin, it glows. Many of human diseases are cured by means of this technology. Biotechnology has produced multiple drugs and vaccines. Bacteria naturally clean up the environment by killing and engulfing the pollutants, but genetic engineers have produced much more improved types of bacteria that can finish the environmental pollutants, increase soil fertility and function as pesticides in a much more efficient manner as compared to naturally occurring bacteria. Similarly, by using the knowledge of biotechnology, the scientists have altered the genotype and phenotype of plants and animals for the benefit of mankind. Some times natural mutation of genes in humans cause malfunctioning in their bodies, the biotechnologists replaces the faulty genes by healthy ones. The gene therapy in which genes are inserted into the cell outside the body is called Ex Vivo gene therapy and within the body is called In Vivo gene therapy. ... The DNA which contains DNA from two different sources is called recombinant DNA. The following bacterial is required for producing recombinant DNA. Isolation of gene from the chromosome The chromosomes are cut on the flanking sites to isolate the genes from them. The enzymes restriction endonucleases are used for this purpose. The genes can also be chemically synthesized in the laboratory or synthesized from messenger RNA by an enzyme named reverse transcriptase. The obtained DNA is termed as complimentary DNA. (Peacock,2010) Molecular Scissor Endoneucleases (restriction enzymes) cut down the viral DNA and restrict their growth. Hamilton O Smith at Johns Hopkins University was the person who isolated the first restriction Enzyme. The specific sites in DNA show specific sequence of four to six nucleotides arranged symmetrically in the reverse order. These sequences are known as Palindromic sequence. Restriction enzymes cut the DNA at the specific sites. Out of four hundred isolated en zymes, twenty are frequently used in recombinant technology. ECORI (a restriction enzyme) cuts double stranded DNA at the cleavage site so that a gap is formed to fit the foreign DNA with its complimentary ends into the gap. (Yount, 2008) Vector (the molecular carrier) Vector is a method by which recombinant DNA is inserted into a host cell. In this method, plasmids (natural extra chromosomal circular DNA) are used as vectors. They carry genes. DNA of bacterial virus is also used as vector. Lambdaphage (vector) attaches to a host bacterium. The recombinant DNA releasing from the virus enters the bacterium and replicates to produce many copies of virus each containing a copy of the gene of choice. Plasmids are cut with enzymes to

Politics in 1930s Britain Essay Example for Free

Politics in 1930s Britain Essay Why did neither the CPGB nor the BUF have much political impact in 1930s Britain? The early 20th century brought the arrival of political extremism and radical ideologies in Europe. Major economic and social upheaval from WW1 changed the industrial, political and social nature of the countries affected by the war. Political extremism is radical left or right wing parties that want social/political change, usually by unconstitutional means. Communism emerged in Russia with the installation of the Soviet regime, and Fascism arrived in Italy and Germany. In Britain, although the BUF and the CPGB were set up, the economic and political circumstances during the 1930s allowed democracy to survive. To those concerned with British security, the BUF/CPGB were never a real threat, they were rather more of a nuisance. 1 The BUF and CPGB believed they would be able to capitalise on the depression, however this was not the case, as the conditions a revolution needed to prevail were not present in Britain. The economic circumstances in Italy, Germany and Russia, were completely different- the effects of the depression in Europe were more severe, and had more of a lasting effect, whereas Britain had recovered within two or three years. Economic circumstances meant that most people accepted capitalism, as living standards were rising. Demographic change, resulting in major loss of workforce and economic dislocation were other factors which encouraged the installation of dictatorships in Europe. Immigration also caused political/social unrest abroad, for example, in Germany; Jewish immigrants were blamed for the economic state. Britains island status meant that the threat of political extremism was not as concerning as it was in most other parts of mainland Europe. The political scene during the 1930s also meant that people were satisfied- National Government policies were accepted, and most left-wing supporters were content with the Labour party. People accepted democracy and capitalism, and did not need alternatives. British culture, which tended to focus around moderation and democracy, meant that foreign regimes seemed alien to the country. The working-class culture, discouraged extremist expansion as the unemployed tended to be apolitical. Internal problems such as financing and leadership issues also hindered the growth of the BUF/CPGB. However, although internal factors were important in the containment of political extremism in 1930s Britain, British economic circumstances had the greatest impact on the failure of the CPGB and BUF, and the internal problems might have not hindered the growth of extremism in different economic circumstances. Although the impact of political extremism in 1930s Britain was very slight, there is also evidence which suggests that a fairly large amount of loyalty was present. For example, the BUF gained support from the Daily Mail, and the communist newspaper the Daily Worker had a large readership. Membership figures for the Left Book Club also suggest the CPGB had some backing. The main factors concerning the failure of political extremism in 1930s Britain can be divided into two sections; external and internal causes. External factors concern the economic/political circumstances which prevented the installation of a dictatorship, and internal factors are problems encountered within the parties. The recovery from the depression was much less traumatic in Britain. Many saw the 1930s as a time of extreme poverty, however for the larger majority, this was not the case, and affluence was not uncommon. John Stevenson writes: The popular image of the 1930s is that of the decade blighted by the economic depression. Indeed, this is an image based upon reality for the many thousands of families who suffered from the miseries of unemployment. But there was another face to the thirties. As well as being the years of the slump, they also saw a remarkable degree of economic and social advance, with new industries, economic growth, prosperous suburbs and a rising standard of living2 Britain had already suffered from a poor economy during the 1920s- depression was already a permanent feature of the British economy3 Therefore, although the recovery was patchy, i.e. a slight downturn in 1938, Britain was not unfamiliar to the situation. In comparison to Russia/Germany, who suffered from major economic dislocation and hyperinflation, Britain did not fare too badly from the depression. Britains recovery was quicker and a lot more stable than other European countries- there was no banking collapse, and many industries actually inclined. Infact, as Stevenson writes, the outcome of the depression could actually be seen as positive. During the housing boom of 1932-34, living standards increased and the quality of life improved for many. Unemployment levels were relatively low compared to the rest of Europe, with a peak of 2.64m in 1931-324 and real wages increased by 15%. Car production was one of the most significant industrial developments in the 1930s and by 1939 ownership reached 3 million.5 This improved life for many, as the car gave freedom and the possibility of travel. Mass production methods enabled cars to be manufactured cheaper and faster than before, meaning that a basic family car could be purchased for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100 in 19316, and this opportunity therefore became available to a wider range of people. Luxury consumer goods e.g. the refrigerator, began appearing in new department stores, and the availability of higher-purchase enabled wider sections of society to afford these. By 1930, 1 in 3 houses also had electricity.7 All these factors contributed to the improvement of living standards and for the majority of the country; there was a mood of affluence and prosperity. As effects of the depression lessened, so did the appeal of an extremist party- people no longer needed radical change, and were satisfied with capitalism. The recovery from the depression came around the same time as the arrival of extremism in Britain- the BUF formed in 1931, by time which the worst part of the depression was over. However, few of the people that were affected by the depression became communist/fascist. Most tended not to foster a class-consciousness, and accepted the capitalist system. The working-class culture meant that the unemployed tended to be apolitical; their interests lay in recreation, sport, religion and job-seeking, and rarely paid attention to the extremist campaign. Therefore, the economic/social situation during the 1930s, meant revolution was not needed- it could even be said that the arrival of political extremism in Britain was a revolution in a non-revolutionary situation.8 Financial satisfaction and an improvement in living/working conditions meant that the public simply did not need an extremist political voice. This denied the BUF/CPGB opportunities for expansion and enabled mainstream political parties to survive. Although the 1931 crisis hit the Labour badly- they were badly defeated in the election (46 seats to the Governments 554 9), the party still held onto core support, as loyalty, from working classes and unemployed, was strong. Labour was a big obstacle to the communists, and denied them space on the political scene. Labour was committed to using moderate policies, and by using the gradualist approach, they believed socialism was achievable if capitalism was prosperous. This theory meant Labour could hold an electorate from a wide range of social classes, not just from the working class. However, most of the working class approved of this approach, and most also accepted capitalism. Labours refusal to affiliate with the CPGB on many opportunities also decreased its support. The CPGBs requests to form a coalition with Labour were rejected on each occasion, mainly due to Labours objection to their constitution program. Unconstitutional action and political extremism were ruled out by Labours firm commitment to parliamentary democracy. Cripps stated- I have always condemned revolutionary means10. Labours rejection of affiliation was influenced by the fact that the CPGB was run from Moscow, which meant if a coalition was formed between the two parties, the public would automatically associate Labour with Russia. As the brutality of the Soviet regime was revealed, i.e. show trials- involving public executions of Stalins enemies-, which were endorsed by the CPGB (the Daily Workers headline read- Shoot the reptiles.11) Labour did not want to be seen by voters as having any contact with this, and wanted to keep its earned image of respectability-connections with this would have greatly lowered their support. Labour was also extremely suspicious of the CPGB and believed that their desire to affiliate was in order to bring the party down and achieve global communist control. Labour worked to marginalize the CPGB, and by using popular and moderate policies such as gradualism, left-wing supporters still remained loyal to them. Again, the economic situation was satisfactory, so for the majority, there was no need to turn to communism. Dominated by Conservatives, the National Government denied the BUF space on the political right. The National Government was extremely popular, and was perhaps able to capitalize on Labours 1931 crisis. The National Government was one of the only British governments that were supported by more than 50% of the electorate.12 Their success was mainly due to the range of people which it drew votes from- they were a coalition of elements from all major democratic parties, and so appealed to almost all sections of society. Therefore, they faced no serious opposition, and again, as Labour did, were able to effectively contain political extremism. Stability and reassurance were offered by the National Government, as they were seen as a safe-option both politically and socially, at a time when communism and the end of capitalism were feared. National Government policies created a modest but steady economic recovery from the depression. One of the main achievements of the National Government was the decision to come off the Gold Standard. This meant a much faster recovery than the rest of Europe as nowhere else had yet done this. Although the outcome of this caused the value of the pound to fall by 30%, it also meant that interest rates fell from 6% to 2%13. This encouraged private investment and industry growth, which inevitably improved the economy. The Special Areas Act provided à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2million in aid to impoverished areas of Britain, (places where the CPGB were most likely to gain support). This therefore increased working class National Government support, and meant there was no need to support the alternative. Another National Government measure was the Unemployment Act of 1934, which created retraining opportunities. This showed the government were aware of Britains problems, and were willing to try to resolve them. All these measures were cautious and small-scale, and although they did not lead to complete economic recovery, they certainly helped soften the impact of the depression. The publics perception of the National Government and its policies/actions, tended to be positive. Again, they were seen as a safe-option, and appealed to all sections of society. The National Governments Public Order Act in 1936, also increased the containment of political extremism in Britain, and in particular decreased BUF growth. This legislation banned the wearing of political uniforms during rallies and marches, and also required police consent for marches to take place. Uniforms gave a common identity and a sense of belonging, and so after the Public Order Act, the desired impact of the rallies was not as great. In general the National Government reduced the appeal of political extremism, as people did not need to turn to other parties. They also denied right wing support to fascism. Enough was already being done by the government to improve the economic situation, and in particularly the living conditions of the very poor, so an alternative was not needed. The National Government derived from all parts of the democratic parliamentary system, and so appealed to a broad section of society. The political and economic circumstances described in the last three sections all added to the containment of political extremism during the 1930s. Together, the Labour party and the National Government refused to let democracy collapse. However, this was compounded by the approach of the BUF/CPGB (e.g. non-democratic) and their own weaknesses. One of the problems the CPGB faced was its lack of a well-known, charismatic leader. Although Dutt and Pollit were the partys chief theoreticians, they lacked charisma and the ability to draw mass support from speeches, as Lenin/Stalin did. Violence and street clashes, particularly with fascists, gave the party a bad name, as this kind of behavior tended to be alien to British culture- politics had always been moderate and democratic, and the majority of the public opposed unconstitutional action. The failure of the CPGBs united front strategy, and attempts at affiliating with Labour against the radical right, was also a factor that decreased the impact of communism. Labour were very popular and many held strong loyalties towards them, and so if Labour held opposition, the public were likely to foster similar opinions. The CPGB were controlled from Moscow, and links with the Soviet Union decreased support. A red scare in Britain meant that the CPGB received extremely bad publicity, after the harsh Soviet regime was revealed. The 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact also lost the CPGB support, as many felt they were affiliating with the enemy- the fascists. Britains patriotism also decreased CPGB support, as on the eve of WW2, supporting them meant also supporting the enemies in the war- Germany/Russia. Internal problems for the BUF also led to failure. Mosleys limitations as a leader hindered the BUFs expansion, as he was a poor tactician and administrator. Mosley lacked financial understanding, and his stubborn and egoistic personality compounded this. He was also politically unstable- he resigned from Labour in 1930 after already having left the Coalition Unionists. Mosleys behavior was alien to Britain and its parliamentary traditions, as was the violence of the BUF which also led to its demise. Street clashes, where some people even died, produced bad publicity for the party- the media blamed the BUF for the violence at Olympia in 1934. It was at this time that the Daily Mail withdrew support, which meant that public respectability was lost. Associations with continental fascism- particularly Hitlers regime- and anti-Semitism propaganda, also lost the BUF public respectability and support as it meant that by supporting the BUF the public would also be supporting Germany. Financing was also a significant problem, as the BUF were always short of money, which was made worse in 1937, as loans from Mussolini were withdrawn. Divisions within the party also led to the partys failure- members disagreed over strategy- e.g. whether to adopt a military or political approach. Despite remaining on the political margins, the CPGB/BUF did have some notable successes. The BUF secured Daily Mail support from early on, and the Olympia rallies always attracted large audiences. BUF membership peaked at 50,000 in 1934,14 and CPGB membership had reached 18,000 by 1939.15 In 1929, 25 CPGB candidates were entered into the election, and received 56,000 votes16. The communist newspaper, the Daily Worker had an average circulation of 80,000.17 The CPGB also held support from a number of influential intellectuals, for example, Cambridge spies Philby, Burgess and Maclean, and poets such as W.H Auden. The CPGB also had some influence in trade unions, and by 1939, the Left Book Club had 60,000 members.18 The economic situation in Britain was the most important factor in the containment of extremism. The rise of living standards, real wages and industrial production gave Britain a positive outlook, at a time when the rest of Europe seemed to be in an economic disaster. The economic circumstances meant there was no room on the political scene for radicalism- the public were satisfied with the capitalist system, and favored moderation and democracy. Political circumstances were equally important in the containment of extremism. Without a successful government, which the National Government proved themselves to be, the economic situation may have been entirely different, and may have encouraged the installation of a dictatorship. Despite slow progress, the National Government was eventually able to steer Britain out of an economic crisis. Britains public appeared to have great confidence in its leaders, and traditional British political methods and democracy succeeded. If the government had not been as successful however, perhaps the BUF/CPGB may have had more political impact. Although important, internal problems within the CPGB/BUF, are of lesser significance. If the economic/political circumstances were different, these problems may not have hindered the growth of the parties. An economic situation similar to Europe, may have caused people to be desperate for a political/social change, without paying attention to problems suffered by the CPGB/BUF such as leadership and financing. However, with better tactics and administration, both parties may have made a greater impact on the 1930s political scene. 1 Colin Cook, British Fascism, Modern History Review p2 2 Stevenson, John and Cook, Chris, Britain in the Depression- Society and Politics 1929-39 Longman p15 3 Rees, Goronwy, The Great Slump, Weidenfeld N p40 4 Class handout 5 Stevenson, John and Cook, Chris, Britain in the Depression- Society and Politics 1929-39 Longman p33 6 Stevenson, John and Cook, Chris, Britain in the Depression- Society and Politics 1929-39 Longman p33 7 Class handouts- The British economy in the 1920s 8 Pearce, Robert, Britain- Domestic Politics 1918-39 Hodder Stoughten p112 9 Murphy, Derek, Britain 1914-2000 Collins Educational p83