Britain's return to the 70s

Britain has a few issues to deal with. There is the issue of rail strikes happening this week, petrol is almost £2/litre, inflation is at a 40 year high of 9.1% and energy bills are rising with the cost of living. With all this considered, Britain seems to have returned to the 1970s.

Everything seems to be going wrong. After COVID, our economy did experience a little boost but still has failed to go back to pre-pandemic levels. And now, with the war in Ukraine, our situation has been exacerbated, with petrol prices almost doubling since the pandemic.

International politics has affected Britain's crisis, but this is a crisis that was already there. The cost of living has risen exponentially, and the core issue with that is wages failing to increase in line. This is why the rail workers have decided to strike in the UK, affecting millions of passengers. The decision has proven controversial; with the Government as well as Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, condemning the action. However, many Labour frontbenchers have defied orders from Starmer and stood on picket lines with workers.

The rail strike is the biggest one in 30 years and was confirmed earlier this week after negotiations with the Government fell through. I stand with the rail workers striking because they demand better pay and better conditions, which is what they deserve. Of course, their action disrupts our lives, but that is the point of a strike, it would not work if it was ineffective. And now, criminal barristers have voted to go on strike too, so the current backlog of cases at the crown courts will increase. These professions have worked tirelessly during the pandemic to keep the country running, yet they have not been adequately compensated. Public sector workers have suffered a 4.3% decrease in wages (in real time), whilst MPs have seen an increase of roughly 28%. This inequality is is an insult to the workers whose jobs keep the country functioning.

With petrol prices, the public are opting to work from home to avoid using cars. This means that businesses lose out because employees will not use services for breakfast or lunch, affecting multiple industries. The energy crisis has been affected by Ukraine, as Europe has opted to obtain its energy from non-Russian sources, proving more expensive. The jump in prices has been sudden and coupled with increased housing prices, as well as staple foods such as bread and milk.

So what are the Government doing about all of this? Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a council tax rebate of £150 for most households, but with energy bills alone rising by thousands a year, this is not even a drop in the ocean of turmoil that the British people face. The Chancellor can control the inflation rate by raising taxes and cutting spending, but taxes are too high to pay. The Bank of England has increased the interest rate again from 1% to 1.25%, so people are less likely to borrow and then spend money. However, it raises the rate on mortgages, affecting homeowners and adding to the list of increased costs.

For now, Britain has returned to its position in the 70s, with workers striking and inflation at an all time high. Back then, the public opted for a change in government, electing in the Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher in 1979 after ousting Labour's James Callaghan. Perhaps Britain is heading for a change in leadership come 2024, if the Conservatives fail to implement effective measures to ease the cost of living for people, in particular, the working classes.

#britain #70s #inflation #railstrikes #biggeststrikein30years #petrolprices #chancellor #costofliving #energycrisis #opinion #youthvoice #blogger #activist

*Image obtained from: https://climax.city/2014/01/12/the-1970s-london-and-the-three-day-week/ all rights reserved