Strikes

I remember the "3 Day Week" & the Miners Strike in 1973 - 1974. I remember the lights going out & cooking on a wood burning stove. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-Day_Week  The Conservatives under Ted Heath called a general election resulting in a "hung parliament".

I remember the "Winter of Discontent" between November 1978 and February 1979. There were widespread strikes by the private, and later the public sector. A Labour government were trying to control inflation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_of_Discontent  It resulted in the Conservatives gaining power under Maggie Thatcher. 

I remember the race riots in British cities in 1981 & 1985. They were exacerbated by the disproportionate use of 'stop and search' ('sus') powers against young black men and the increasing economic decline of inner city areas. https://warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/studying/docs/racism/1980s/

I thought they were the worst periods possible in my lifetime.

There is now, in my opinion , a "perfect storm" of circumstances, which could lead to widespread civil unrest not seen in the UK ever. 

• The Global financial crisis of 2007–2008 led to years of austerity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_crisis_of_2007%E2%80%932008
• Then the Brexit referendum in 2016 led to a consensus this year, shared by most researchers, policy institutions and businesses, that Brexit will have a negative long-run effect on the UK economy by raising barriers to trade, migration and investment between the UK and EU'. https://www.briefingsforbritain.co.uk/what-impact-is-brexit-having-on-the-uk-economy/  
• That was followed by Covid in December 2019  https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/covid-and-the-uk-economy-speech-by-clare-lombardelli-chief-economic-advisor-hm-treasury
• Finally we had the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February this year https://www.eib.org/en/stories/ukraine-trade-inflation
  

Thousands of workers in many different areas are striking, balloting to strike or threatening to ballot. Royal Mail, Teachers & Lecturers, Security workers, Bus & Train drivers, Signalling staff, Ambulance crews, Nurses, Midwives, Civil Servants, Cleaners...The list is endless. If these strikes go ahead everyones lives will be seriously impacted. Apparently, currently there is a rise in excess deaths unrelated to Covid. The inference is that it's because of the dire situation in the NHS.

 

Add to that the fact that millions of people do not have sufficient income for food, heating & decent living accommodation. The basic necessities of life - not luxuries. People are becoming desperate. I can remember regularly running out of money towards the end of the week in the early years of my marriage & having egg & chips because it was very cheap. But my family never went hungry. Adults in the UK are going without meals & going to food banks regularly.

 

This is a political problem & it's really serious. Currently we seem to have a government that not only caused some of these problems, but also can't agree among themselves what the solutions are. People will not remain patient. They will take the law into their own hands, history has shown that. 

 

The only solution I can see is for us to have a Coalition government like the one in the second world war. We need a government of the best people from across all parties. The most talented & experienced people who will make long term decisions in the interest of the whole UK. Not people thinking of their own political careers or short term, knee jerk, policies. 

 

I don't have any faith that it will happen. The old ways of our "democracy" & tribalism are too entrenched.

 

But, if I am still around, I will hold this shambolic government accountable for what happens.