Is the UK the new sick man of Europe?
Analysis
BBC
4.6 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 18 July 2022
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the United Kingdom was sometimes characterised as the 'sickman of Europe' due to industrial strife and poor economic performance compared to other European countries.
Today, inflation is once again rising and growth is forecast to slow considerably and economists predict that the UK could suffer a greater hit to living standards next year than any other major European country.
BBC economics correspondent Dharshini David asks just how hard the times ahead will be and how might we find a cure to avoid the mantle of 'sick man of Europe' once more?
Producer: Caroline Bayley Editor: Richard Fenton - Smith Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Helena Warwick-Cross
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know. |
| 0:04.6 | My name's Linda Davies and I Commission Podcasts for BBC Sounds. |
| 0:08.4 | As you'd expect, at the BBC we make podcasts of the very highest quality featuring the most knowledgeable |
| 0:14.3 | experts and genuinely engaging voices. What you may not know is that the BBC |
| 0:20.4 | makes podcasts about all kinds of things like pop stars, |
| 0:24.6 | poltergeist, cricket, and conspiracy theories and that's just a few examples. |
| 0:29.7 | If you'd like to discover something a little bit unexpected, find your next podcast over at BBC Sounds. |
| 0:36.0 | BBC Sounds. |
| 0:38.0 | BBC Sounds, Music Radio Podcasts. |
| 0:41.0 | Hello and thanks for listening to this edition of Analysis, the podcast that looks at the ideas behind |
| 0:46.8 | the news. |
| 0:47.8 | I'm Darshini David. |
| 0:49.4 | Amidst all the current political turmoil, economists predict that the UK could suffer a greater hit to |
| 0:55.4 | living standards next year than any other major European country. |
| 1:00.1 | I'm asking just how hard the times ahead will be and how he might find a cure. |
| 1:06.0 | It's been a heated start to the summer. |
| 1:09.0 | Railway stations across England, Scotland and Wales have been deserted, |
| 1:14.0 | as services have largely been brought to a halt by the first of three days of strike action this week. |
| 1:19.0 | More than 60 flights have been cancelled at the last minute at Heathrow Airport today, |
| 1:24.0 | blighting the holiday plans of thousands of passengers. |
| 1:28.0 | Lengthy delays at airports and hospitals strikes over pay amidst soaring living costs and now a testy battle to fill the vacancy |
| 1:36.6 | at number 10, the top job in the country and the Conservative Party. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in -941 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.