Black Market Britain 19391955

Thanks to rationing and price control, Britain's underground economy flourished during the 1940s and early 1950s as producers, traders, and professional criminals helped consumers to get a little extra 'on the side'. Yet widespread evasion of regulations designed to ensure 'fair shares for all' did not undermine the austerity policies that characterised these years. Here, Mark Roodhouse argues that Britons showed self-restraint in their illegal dealings. The means, motives, and opportunities for evasion were not lacking. The shortages were real regulations were not watertight, and enforcement was haphazard.