WHERE IS BRITAIN GOING?
Listening to: Radio 4. Foiled terrorist attack
It is interesting to see what is happening to this country. For most of my life, Britain has alternated between boom and bust, and it has been a case of governments managing a gentle decline. We are coming up to 10 years of a Labour administration, so what difference has it made?
We have had 10 years of uninterrupted growth, our social services are enjoying unprecedented investment. Some critics say the pace of reform is too fast, others that it is too slow. We are all far richer now than 10 years ago, (and that includes pensioners), interest rates, unemployment and inflation remain at a low level, and overall, crime is falling, and more people are in jail then ever before. There are new schools and hospitals everywhere, more nurseries, teachers, doctors, policemen.We now have a minimum wage for the first time ever, and the link between pensions and earnings is to be restored.
On the other hand, personal behaviour is rapidly getting worse; church attendance and marriage is on the decline, divorce is up. Anti-social behaviour, vandalism, drug abuse and drunkeness is increasing, and the proportion of crime where violence is used is up. Drink driving is making a comeback, road rage becomes more prevalent.
One of our biggest problems is immigation, while half the British say they would like to emigrate. Seems to me that the world is beating a path to our door, thinking this is a good place to live, while the British themselves think the grass is greener elsewhere. This country attracts not just Asians and Eastern Europeans, but Australians, Americans, and even the French chose to come here to work, while Brits retire in their thousands to Spain, France, etc (but eventually want to return)
Of course, I blame Tony Blair, who else?
Best Wishes
Dave