The Spectator

Barometer | 30 November 2017

Also in Barometer: the banned miners’ strike pub crawl and British productivity — or the lack of it

issue 02 December 2017

Pit stopped

After complaints from the Durham Miners’ Association, a rugby club at Durham University cancelled a pub crawl in which members were to dress as coal miners or ministers from Mrs Thatcher’s government.

— Attitudes towards the 1984-85 miners’ strike were not always so censorious. In 2001, the conceptual artist Jeremy Deller staged a re-enactment of the Battle of Orgreave, involving 800 re-enactment enthusiasts as well as 200 miners who had been there on the day. Staged at Orgreave itself, it was filmed and shown on Channel 4 with few complaints.

Ups and downs

Which industries saw the biggest rises and falls in real-terms productivity (i.e., greater than inflation) since 2007? CPI inflation over the period was 25.9 per cent.

RISING REAL-TERMS PRODUCTIVITY
Textiles +90%

Administration services +72%
Chemicals +62%
Food and drink +37%
Hotels and catering +36%
Transport and services +30%
Wholesale and retail +27%
Recreation and culture +26%
FALLING REAL-TERMS PRODUCTIVITY
Energy +23%
Agriculture +15%

Construction +14%

IT +13%
Finance and insurance +11%
Public services +10%
Mining and quarrying -13%

Source: ONS

Second tries

Prince Harry, a bachelor, is to marry Meghan Markle, a divorcee.

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