Political and Economic Planning was a British policy think tank, formed in 1931 in response to Max Nicholson's A National Plan for Britain. The prolific organisation was influential in the formation of the National Health Service, World War II and post-war planning, and the development of the African colonies. This article is about the institution. ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Edward Max Nicholson (Max to everyone who knew him; July 12, 1904 - April 26, 2003) was a pioneering environmentalist and ornithologist; and a founder of the World Wildlife Fund. ... The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly-funded healthcare system of the United Kingdom. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... World map of colonialism circa 1945. ...

Prominent members included Julian Huxley. Sir Julian Sorell Huxley, FRS (June 22, 1887 – February 14, 1975) was a British biologist, author and internationalist, known for his popularisations of science in books and lectures. ...

The group was a precursor to the modern left-leaning Policy Studies Institute.