In Britain these days, one cannot either read a newspaper, listen to the radio or watch the TV without hearing news of some major industrial disputes happening in the country.
Cabin crew working for British Airways are currently in dispute over pay and working conditions. Civil servants working for the government are having regular short-term strikes. Senior army officers are in dispute with defence ministers over the lack of equipment for soldiers fighting a hopeless war in Afghanistan. The government is facing a fresh diplomatic dispute with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Put in the row over rising petrol prices, and you get a classic perception of a Spring of Discontent.
This is the perfect storm. It would be ironic if any of these issues blew up during the election campaign. It’ll be a struggle to find out who is going to be responsible for sorting this mess out. A preventable series of events turning into a collective national crisis… and these politicians who want our votes at the forthcoming general election simply don’t have a clue.