The chapter delves into the struggles of overcrowded prisons, shortages in schools, overwhelmed courts, and a strained NHS in Britain. It also addresses government failures in immigration control, public dissatisfaction with services, increasing public debt, and high tax burdens, while using sewage discharges as a metaphor for broader issues faced in the country.
On July 4th Britain will have a general election, one in which is widely expected to result in dramatic losses for the ruling Conservative party. If so, it would bring to an end 14 years of Tory rule. It’s been a turbulent period; the twin catastrophes of Brexit and Covid, set to the grinding and gloomy mood music of the 2008 financial crash. The Economist’s Andy Miller travels up and down the country, to the towns and cities shaped by these events, to get a sense of how Britain is feeling.
Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+
For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.