A significant amount of national assets had been sold to finance the war, and production had been switched to essential supplies, including the military.

Investment in most areas of commercial production had been cut back during the war, and so conditions in mills and mines were not good.

Many occupations and professions were exempt, and this was characterised by Labour MP for Wroughton, Rhys Davies, in his parliamentary motion to annul the order, as controlling the employment of the working class.

[1] The infringement of liberties was taken up by others in the debate, from all political parties, including the minister himself, who characterises it as a necessary evil at a time of national emergency.

The order was the subject of a correspondence in the pages of the Dartford Chronicle between Margaret Thatcher (then Roberts) and Norman Dodds.