Rhetoric of a troubled industry: the case of the Dundee jute industry during the inter-war period

This study examines the rhetorical strategies deployed by supporters of the Dundee jute industry (DJI) during the legislative debate surrounding British trade policy of the inter-war period. It conducts a content analysis of the House of Commons debate on 2 February, 1938 on a motion entitled 'Importations from Overseas'. This debate highlights the position and the rhetorical strategies of the jute industry through its parliamentary surrogates. Analysis suggests that rhetorical strategies challenged policy, while avoiding a direct or explicit challenge to the dominant institutional logic of free trade. This study also furthers our understanding of government-industry relations in the jute industry during the inter-war period.