If Britain were a person, they might strike you as a familiar type. They’re the type that slumps on the sofa, letting problems pile up. There’s that rising damp they should get to grips with, there’s that long-term nagging cough. Their marriage has been falling apart for months, they should really look into counselling. They don’t, though. They sit there procrastinating.
But should a sudden crisis arise – a main burst and flood the street, or a neighbour collapse with a heart attack – a change comes over them: a spark to the eye and a flush to the cheek. They become decisive, selfless, competent. They are stoic in the face of danger, generous to others, skilled at giving directions and at following orders. They are good in a crisis.
