Hopeless and downbeat, Britain is the new France

‘Tis the season to be jolly, unless you live in Britain. An Ipsos poll last week suggested there is widespread pessimism in the UK about the year ahead. Six out of ten Brits expect food shortages in 2023, 57 per cent believe it unlikely their personal finances will improve, and two-thirds fear a general strike.

British doom and gloom has been growing in recent years. According to data released last month by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the use of antidepressants in Britain has rocketed, with only Iceland and Portugal among 18 European nations having a higher consumption. In 2010, 54 people per 1,000 in Britain were taking antidepressants, a figure that doubled to 108 in 2020; in contrast, France’s consumption has remained stable at 53 per 1,000.

One thing’s for sure, the spirit of 2012 has long since evaporated. Is it only a decade since Britain hosted the summer Olympics, a golden year when the world came to London to party? The Games’ motto was ‘Inspire a Generation’ and boys and girls took it to heart, as Team GB showed what could be achieved with ambition, focus and drive.