Strikes: A Christmas of Discontent?

Suddenly we seem to be engulfed in strikes designed to disrupt lives at the height of the festive season. What began on the railways and with the junior doctors, is now spreading. Baggage handlers, cabin crew, post offices, perhaps postmen. Why? Because there is anger out there that too many are not sharing in the bounty of the few, too many bosses are saying no to their workers’ demands, whilst upping their own money many times above the inflation rate. Too many are working long hours, the product of which  is gobbled up by excessive housing costs. Everywhere anger is building, yet the government does nothing meaningful to resolve accumulating issues; a soundbite here and a platitude there no longer works.

The Conservatives are ahead in the polls, but this should bring them little comfort. With the rise of populism the political group destined to topple the Tories from power may not even yet exist. Sooner or later, if that anger continues to build, it will become a powerful political force. Meanwhile Labour recognises that it has no alternative but to support the strikers and heap the blame for it all on the government. Union politics is not straightforward. Thatcher won her battles, but that was at the end of massive industrial unrest which saw about 28 million working days lost in 1979 alone. People had had enough. But  so far this year less than 300,000 days have been lost to strikes and, important this, people have had enough of austerity. When Heath asked ‘who governs Britain?‘ in 1974, the voters replied ‘not you!’  And the reason for that was that they had lost faith in Heath’s failing economic policies.

There will be a lot of political noise in 2017. But keep an ear to the pulse of the economy. That is the heartbeat of power. If it begins to fibrillate, the May government will need intensive care.

Boris?

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