The role of London as an offshore financial centre in the liberalisation of international finance since the Second World War

This paper deals with the question whether the City of London acted as an offshore financial centre since the Second World War. This in turn is linked to the specific role London played in the liberalisation and deregulation of international finance which took place at an increasing pace since the 1970s. Special attention is paid to the rise of the so-called euromarkets and why this development was tolerated by the Bank of England.