Britain | Summer of discontent

Almost nothing seems to be working in Britain. It could get worse

A warning from the hot summer of 1976

|SOUTHAMPTON

In southampton 20-odd people are picketing Red Funnel, a ferry company that carries people to and from the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England. The strikers complain about their pay and treatment. But they are most exercised by the rapidly rising cost of living. One young woman says that she went into debt to attend a friend’s wedding. A man describes watching his electricity meter in horror, knowing that a big bill is coming. “Everyone’s just had enough,” he says.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The summer of discontent”

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