Although Britain’s economic growth is ticking along in the run-up to the general election, flat wages and the government’s austerity programme continue to bite and cause anger among those left behind.
A world away from the glistening skyscrapers of London’s City finance district, normal life for some resembles that depicted in last year’s Cannes winner “I, Daniel Blake”.
The British film’s protagonists, in the northeastern English city of Newcastle, battle with the impact of cuts to social services in place since 2010, struggling to make ends meet and relying on food banks.
Widening living standards is a hot topic in the looming general election due June 8, and one that analysts say played a crucial role in last year’s shock referendum vote in favour of the country’s exit from the European Union.
The Brexit verdict has been framed by some commentators as a reflection of the social divide between the haves and the have-nots in one of the world’s richest economies.
Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who called the general election to strengthen her hand in the coming Brexit talks, claims she wants a society that works for everyone, albeit one that is not free of austerity nor social spending cuts.
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party and who has gained ground in recent opinion polls, argues that the yawning gap between rich and poor needs to be addressed.
While official statistics show that Britain’s unemployment rate sits at a 42-year low of 4.6%, many workers find themselves on low wages and short-term contracts.
Median household income stood at £26,300 in the year to March 2016, just four percent above the pre-financial crisis value of ten years ago.
Statistics also show that income inequality in Britain has actually declined slightly since the 2008 crisis, reversing a sharp increase in previous decades, as higher-income households saw their earnings fall more in real terms.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
