A LEADING German news magazine has said that “the foundation of Britannia’s democracy is literally rotting away” in a scathing article on the state of the UK.
In a piece title “The UK faces a Steep Climb Out of a Deep Hole” for Der Spiegel, journalist Jörg Schindler discusses how Brexit, poverty levels and Boris Johnson have all contributed to the “plight” in which Britain finds itself.
The journalist described Westminster Palace as being a “perfect symbol for the United Kingdom of today”.
“Here, in the low-ceilinged, labyrinthine catacombs, the foundation of Britannia’s democracy is literally rotting away, largely out of sight and out of mind.
“Most of the structure is contaminated by asbestos, while thick tangles of cables hang chaotically from the ceiling and pipes suddenly come to an end, seemingly in the middle of nowhere”, Schindler says of Westminster Palace.
He adds that “the flow of bad news” in the UK has been constant amid a crisis in the NHS and shop closures up and down the high street amid the cost of living crisis.
The piece also states that while the number of billionaires in the UK – around 177 – is higher than it has ever been, millions have slipped into poverty.
As well as this, it cites statistics which shows a dramatic decrease in the UK’s gross domestic product before and after Brexit.
Although Scotland managed to avoid any strikes in the NHS, the article also discusses how junior doctors in England have taken industrial action as well as workers in numerous other industries.
“Since December, hardly a day has passed without a strike by bus drivers, medical workers, teachers, public servants, university employees or rail workers”, the article says.
It describes the situation as being akin to a time of “high debt and punishing inflation” in the 1970s and cites a quote from former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger who described Britain as a “tragedy” at that time.
The article adds: “One significant reason for that pessimism is the fact that many simply no longer trust their speechifying politicians in Westminster to get much done.
“The Tory party, which has been in power now for a dozen years, has gone through four prime ministers since 2016 alone.”
Schindler is also critical of Boris Johnson, who was forced to resign as members of his own government deserted him, saying that he “still refuses to admit any personal responsibility for the plight in which Britain finds itself” as he “continues to bleat in a huff from the sidelines”.
The article ends: “This country was already on its knees before Brexit, before the endless phase of political trench warfare and before the pandemic.
“And now, it seems as though it has dialled 999 and is waiting in vain for the paramedics to show up.”
