David Brandon, Martin Upham

Ernest Marples (eBook, ePUB)

The Shadow Behind Beeching

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

This biography examines the life and career of the conservative politician who led the charge to reshape British Railways in the mid-twentieth century. Ernest Marples was one of the most influential and controversial British politicians of the mid-twentieth century. As the Minister of Transport (1959-1964) he appointed Dr. Beeching chairman of British Railways and commissioned him to produce his infamous "Beeching Report". Earlier, as Postmaster General (1957-1959), he reformed Post Office accounting systems and launched postcodes and Subscriber Trunk Dialing. Though Marples evaded implicated in the Profumo Affair which rocked the Conservative Party, his political career was over soon afterwards. Questionable business practices, and a 1975 flight to Monaco, drew scrutiny from Inland Revenue. Beeching, unhappy under a Labour government, returned to private industry. This biography of Marples draws on newly-available archives to examine Marples's career as well as public and private transport policy, the growing power of the pro-road lobby, and the successful campaign to identify personal freedom with driving.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Pen & Sword Transport
• Seitenzahl: 224
• Erscheinungstermin: 4. April 2023
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781526760197
• Artikelnr.: 70120596

Autorenporträt

David Brandon was educated at Manchester University and worked in Adult Education at Further Education Colleges and Universities and later for a major national trade union. Researching and writing since 1997 he has had forty titles published of which he regards the 'flagship' to be a collaborative work published by the National Archives, using their resources to examine the transportation of felons to Australia and other penal colonies. His publications reflect his wide interests which include railways, political and social history, London history, topography, local history and the history of crime.