AHC: Make British industry as strong as possible during 1920s-1930s

While spending on trucks for army would certainly boost motor output, investments on large-scale motorway construction, as you said above, would raise the industry both qualitatively and quantitatively by boosting the production of higher performance motor vehicles.
Unfortunately it would also accelerate the decline of the railways.

Replacing horsed transport (HT) with mechanical transport (MT) earlier would save the Exchequer money because lorries were cheaper to run than horses. I put some cost comparisons that proved it in another thread which I found in the Army Estimates.
 

Thomas1195

Banned
Unfortunately it would also accelerate the decline of the railways.

Replacing horsed transport (HT) with mechanical transport (MT) earlier would save the Exchequer money because lorries were cheaper to run than horses. I put some cost comparisons that proved it in another thread which I found in the Army Estimates.
Rationalisation and partial nationalisation, together with faster electrification progress and quicker adoption of electric and diesel locomotives would allow the railways to compete.

Since better roads allow for higher performance vehicles, I think this would eventually translates into higher performance military trucks, lorries, half-tracks or even tanks.
 

Thomas1195

Banned
Also, I realize that in aircraft production, there were still too many firms with too many different designs.

If we can merge them into fewer firms, lets say only De Haviland, Hawker, Rolls Royce, Avro and Vickers
 
Eventually the market will force the less profitable aircraft manufacturers out of business.
As for all the dozens of different types of airplanes: first the 1930s were a period of rapid technological advancement (sheet metal, stressed skin construction, retractable undercarriage, controllable pitch propellers, etc.). While many prototypes proved duds, lessons learned improved the next generation.
Secondly, when Britain force ably combined a variety of airplane manufacturers post WW2, it proved disasterous for the industry as a whole.
 

Thomas1195

Banned
Secondly, when Britain force ably combined a variety of airplane manufacturers post WW2, it proved disasterous for the industry as a whole.
The merges after ww2 eliminated competition, and even irrelevant to aircraft (like the takeover of Rover Group). They even ended with nationalisation My idea of M&A only want to make firms which were too small like Short Bros or Gloster to be merged.

But it is odd to see a national aircraft industry to have 6-7 firms when looking at current US, Canadian or EU aircraft industries.
 

Anderman

Donor
But it is odd to see a national aircraft industry to have 6-7 firms when looking at current US, Canadian or EU aircraft industries.

The EU is not a country the most EU members have one aircraft producer or as in the case of Germany only a share in EADS.
Oh and the USA has a population of nearly 5 times of the UK and is still there largest economy on earth.
So there is nothing odd to see.
 

Thomas1195

Banned
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/wi-imperial-preference-in-1932.228583/page-8

This threads also mentioned various solutions to make British industries stronger. Many of them were similar to what I proposed above, but I did not mention Imperial Preference, as based on the OTL political situation it was impossible for British policies to be both Keynesian and protectionist. Specifically, during the interwar period, the Tories were protectionists but advocated Treasury view "safety first" policies, while the Liberals were Keynesians but free-traders.
 

Thomas1195

Banned
Various sanity options for British army and navy would require more money, and hence a stronger economy, for example, experimental mechanized force, or the negotiation in the first LNT. Thus, you will also need some economic sanity options.
 
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