You can’t separate Britain’s parlous state and Rishi Sunak’s latest bungled attempt to escalate the “stop the boats” campaign. No British government in democratic history has presided over such an acute period of national decline. The average Briton is set to be no better off in 2026 than they were in 2008, and the poorest fifth are more than 20% poorer than their French and German counterparts.
Economic growth has been weak, and there has been an unprecedented slowdown in the nation’s productivity levels. Hospital waiting lists are at record highs, multiple housing crises chew at our living standards and security, and privatised infrastructure – from our creaking trains to our leaking water pipes – offers a service you’d expect from a much poorer country, all at rip-off prices. The social hubs that rescue us from isolation are being wiped off the map, from libraries – nearly 800 closed in the 2010s – to nightclubs – a third have vanished in the past three years alone. Our town centres are becoming deserts of shuttered windows, pound shops and US candy stores.
