How Europe sees us... from Danish newspaper Information.
"Who Killed Great Britain? Britain is a country in economic, political and moral crisis. Information has traveled to London to look for the roots of British decay."
In this thread, a translated summary.
"Who Killed Great Britain? Britain is a country in economic, political and moral crisis. Information has traveled to London to look for the roots of British decay."
In this thread, a translated summary.
The article starts out with sewage and the ill boat racers.
"In a way, that's how it feels to arrive in the UK too. You have barely landed before you are overwhelmed by bad news."
"In a way, that's how it feels to arrive in the UK too. You have barely landed before you are overwhelmed by bad news."
"Homelessness has doubled, schools are crumbling, technical recession, infant mortality is rising, hospital waiting lists are longer than ever. Everywhere you look there are small stones in the great mosaic of British decay."
It notes that the poorest people in Britain are not only poorer than Denmark or France, but poorer than their equivalents in Slovenia.
MPs are being forced out by scandal and there's a procession of prime ministers.
MPs are being forced out by scandal and there's a procession of prime ministers.
"The story of British decay is so brutal that it is tempting to read it as a crime novel. A murder mystery, a whodunnit, as they themselves would say."
Can you guess who it might be...?
Can you guess who it might be...?
We visit a food bank (not something Danish people are familiar with) and hear the history of austerity.
The safety net was stripped away. And then...
The safety net was stripped away. And then...
Then comes Brexit, which has caused higher inflation, lower investment and a crushing blow to exports.
"Economically, Brexit has been a disaster, but the issue occupies surprisingly little space in British politics."
"Economically, Brexit has been a disaster, but the issue occupies surprisingly little space in British politics."
A bit more history, through the 20th century and Thatcher. Britain has not come to terms with its place in the world.
Former Danish finance minister: "There are two types of nations in Europe. Small nations and countries that have not yet realized that they are small nations."
Former Danish finance minister: "There are two types of nations in Europe. Small nations and countries that have not yet realized that they are small nations."
We stop to giggle at the Tory graphic declaring Britain "the second most powerful country in the world".
There is a brief summary of Boris Johnson's time as PM and rampant corruption among Tory MPs - imagine how all of this sounds to Danish people!
There is a brief summary of Boris Johnson's time as PM and rampant corruption among Tory MPs - imagine how all of this sounds to Danish people!
Inequality: "British households in the middle income group are now 20 percent poorer than corresponding households in Germany. For low-income households, it is almost 30 percent. But the upper class are just as wealthy as in Germany."
"Perhaps that's why Jacob Rees-Mogg and Rishi Sunak still talk about Britain as if it were at the head of a global superpower. It is not their children who are getting shorter and they have never stood in line at a food bank."
/ends
/ends
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