Broken Britain
Bloomberg Businessweek US|November 21 - 28, 2022 (Double Issue)
After a decade of austerity that devastated public services, the UK is bracing... for more austerity
Broken Britain

Satvir Kaur gets angry when she recalls her childhood in the 1990s in Southampton, on the south coast of England. “As an average inner-city kid who grew up on free school meals, I relied heavily on my local youth center,” the 38-year-old says. But today, after 12 years of austerity programs enforced by successive Conservative governments in London, “not only can the school not afford those activities for my nieces and nephews, but that youth center is run by a local charity, which is equally struggling.”

As head of Southampton’s Labour-led council, Kaur isn’t just watching her community suffer from the cuts. She now has to make them. The council must find savings of almost £1 million ($1.2 million) a week in 2023-24 to fill a shortfall in its £225 million budget amid soaring inflation and growing demand for services—what Kaur calls “austerity on steroids.” And it’s not just opposition-led places that are reeling. Two Conservative-run county councils nearby warned that they face bankruptcy because of “budget deficits over the next few years of a scale that has never been seen before.”

Public services in Britain are, in essence, crumbling. In recent years, English schools have needed some £11 billion in repairs that haven’t been made, according to a 2021 government report. There is an estimated £13 billion backlog of urgently needed roadwork. For hospitals, the figure is £10 billion.

Yet the new Conservative government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak—who also hails from Southampton—was scheduled to unveil a budget on Nov. 17 to plug a £55 billion fiscal hole via tax hikes and a raft of new cuts: a declaration that austerity is back.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK USView all
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 mins  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023