How Britain Stumbled
Many have scratched their heads in amazement as the United Kingdom, previously so pragmatic, reliable, and, well, boring, seemed to descend into ungovernable chaos. The six years since the Brexit referendum in 2016 witnessed more than their fair share of turbulence. And in the last four months alone, the country has seen the departure of two prime ministers. Boris Johnson was replaced by Liz Truss in September. She lasted a mere 44 days, being driven from office when her so-called minibudget spooked markets, raised the price of British government bonds, and sent the pound tumbling.
The Economist entitled an October issue, “Welcome to Britaly”, (prompting Italian friends to take offense); the German weekly Der Spiegel led with a picture of a banana topped with the Elizabeth Tower (popularly known as Big Ben) and the headline “Banana Island”.… Seguir leyendo »