Why Was British Economic Recovery Slower Than That of France

Why was British economic recovery slower than that of France or West Germany?

A) The cost of maintaining the British Empire weighed on the domestic economy.
B) British welfare costs were higher than those of France.
C) British citizens paid proportionally higher taxes than French or German citizens.
D) The United Kingdom had a large trade surplus with the United States,which kept the value of the pound too high.
E) The United Kingdom spent 25 percent of its national budget on the military.