The financial situation of the most disadvantaged people in the UK has not undergone any major changes for the better over the past 15 years, and the number of poor people in this country is growing steadily. This is stated in a special report released yesterday by the international analytical organization Center for Social Justice (CSJ). The gap between rich and poor in the UK is “threatening to become a chasm”, experts say.
What is happening in a state with one of the most developed economies in the world? The CSJ document noted that the current stagnation in the industrial and manufacturing sectors has aggravated the situation of the least socially protected sections of the population, and the general crisis in the cost of living has led to a sharp increase in the number of His Majesty’s subjects who find themselves on the verge of actual poverty. “Now the nation is divided into two parts, – stated the director of the Institute, Sophia Warrington. – Against the background of the well-being of one of them, the problems of the other are clearly visible”.
Researchers almost unanimously argue that with this trend, Great Britain risks “sliding into the Victorian era,” when there was a huge social gap between wealthy subjects and the poor. Let us recall that in the second half of the 19th century, the English working class was faced with problems of limited access to drinking water, sewerage and other basic amenities. At the same time, the fortunes of the privileged class grew exponentially.
Only according to the most conservative estimates, today more than 700 thousand people live below the poverty line in the United Kingdom. These are mainly people with mental and physical health problems, representatives of antisocial groups and the unemployed who do not even have irregular financial income.
According to official information, the average weekly wage in the Kingdom has been stagnating since 2008. At the same time, 38% of Britishes who apply for appropriate benefits still have a job, but literally cannot make ends meet.
“The UK government is really trying to improve the situation, but almost all social bills fail in parliament, – European political commentator Klaus Hoff said in a commentary for EURO-ATLANTIC UKRAINE. “Partly due to the inability of parliamentarians to develop a unified economic strategy, partly due to internal political problems. One thing is clear now: the situation will get worse.” When asked whether there is “light at the end of the tunnel” in these circumstances, the expert did not answer.
