The trades unions were freed after 1945 as never before, or since. From 1971, Trades Union freedoms were curtailed by Governments across Europe. After 1945, for the first time, trades unions became involved in the discussion of wage increases, they sat on board on national industrial policies. The Union movement that had first appeared on national scenes in the latter part of the 19th century was suddenly freed from the shackles of government legislation. And for a while, Union leaders thought this was to be the new normal. Over 25 years, there was a great expansion of militant trade union activity.

In the stable wealthy parts of Europe & North America, a small portion of the increase in wealth created after 1945 has moved and spread itself further down the line to the new middle classes. The issue I was concerned to express was the overall direction of wealth distribution across the world after 1945; powerful literature has grown up to challenge the status quo.

It is so much around us in our everyday lives that we all assume that nationalism has been with us for eternity. This is not the case. Nationalism has arisen alongside the creation of the modern nation-state. Go back 300 or 400 years and there were no nation-states with recognised boundaries. There were Empires of varying kinds, kingdoms of varying size, sometimes the Kingdoms were part of an Empire and sometimes not.