Britain’s productivity problem is long-standing and getting worse
Many culprits and few easy answers
In the classic short documentary “Powers of Ten”, made in 1977, the point of view steadily pulls back from a picnicking couple in a lakeside park to show first the Earth, then the solar system, and eventually the entire universe. An expanding field of view brings home the scale of things. So it is with the challenges facing Britain.
In the week that Boris Johnson scraped through a vote of confidence in his leadership, the narrowest field of view focuses on the prime minister: how wounded he is, and how long he will survive. Zoom out a bit and you can see the immediate issues facing an enfeebled government, from a creaking health service to the rising cost of living.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "Stagnation nation"
Britain June 11th 2022
From the June 11th 2022 edition
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