The Making of an ‘Exceptional Relationship’

Abstract

The British Government’s Agreement with A.P.O.C. was the most remarkable event in British oil policy before 1914. This ‘State take-over bid’ has been taken as clear evidence of the demise of laissez-faire.¹ It was certainly an aberration from the general nature of the Government’s relations with the oil companies. For over a decade requests from various companies seeking some form of close or exclusive relationship with the State had been resisted. It was ironical that A.P.O.C., the company which made the most ambitious requests for State support, was also the company which came closest to achieving all its goals. It was not surprising that after 1914 civil servants described the Government’s relationship with A.P.O.C. not as ‘special’, but as ‘exceptional’.²