the decline of the UK Flashcards
1979 Margaret Thatcher
spoke about “a feelinf of helpessness that a once great nation has somehow fallen behind”
it is udeniable that the UK has
lost some of its shine since being the world’s leading power in the 19th century
the UK in the 19th century
“the Empire on which the sun never sets”
on the international stage following the SWW
it was objvious the UK was no longer top dog
since then the UK has always tried to
cultivate 3 spheres of influence :
- the Commonwealth
- the Special Relationship (USA)
- Europe
with Brexit
it risks losing one of these 3 circles
the Uk still punches above its wieght
as it is still on the UN Security Council
a member of NATO
jouer dans la cour des grands
to punch above ones wieght
maître incontesté
pièce maitresse
top dog
the city
one of the world’s leading financial centres
if Nicola Sturgeon
gets her wish and Scotland stages another in-out referendum it could spell the end of the UK as an institution
organiser
stage
sonner le glas de qqchose
to spell the end of
the UKS decline is
internal
some of the major pproblemas faced by the nation today
- high unemployment
- binge drinking
- teenage pregnancy
- yob culture
- the “failure” of multiculturalism
- a disastrous rail service
- high housing cost compared to income
- huge student debt and homelessness
the…
- the NHS probably best epitomises the UK’s fall from grace
beuverie
binge drinking
to fall from grace
tomber en disgrâce
- déchéance
the education system
also embodies the decline of the UK according to many
Recent PM have tried to stop the rot
- Tony Blair
- Cameron
Tony Blair
always spoke of his priorities as “education, education, education”
- created blair’s academies,
blair’s academies
state-funded but independent schools
sponsored by business charities parents or teachers
Cameron
- Cameron free’s school took the idea even further
Free schools
are part of Cameron’s Big Society project
in 2011
controversially, the coalition tripled tuition fees whereas the Lib Dem party has always campaigned for equlity of access to education
decline in terms of
the confidence of the nation in itself and the generally morose atmosphere that pervades a huge section of the pop
se répandre dans
to pervade
gone are the days of
Tony Balir and “Cool Britania” when the UK was a thriving nation confident in its culture, with a booming economy
the effects of the financial crisis were
excerbated by David Cameron’s harsh austerity measures
2012
helped resotre the feel-good factor thanks to the OG and the Queen’s diamond Jubilee
Scotland and the possible break-up of the Union
- have had enough of Cameron’s austerity measures
- have resented the conservative governments since the thatcher days
cobaye
guinea pig
thatcher used
the Scots as guinea pigs for her controversial Poll Tax
second referendum almost certain in the near future
- the incredible rise of Nicola Sturgeon
- the SNP’s amazing gains in the 2015 election
- coupled with Scotland’s aversion to Brexit
Brits who think that the country is in decline
More than half of Brits /pessimistics about the lives of furture generations
a research found that
the spelling and punctuation of 16-year-old is worse than it was 30 years ago
Brrits in their twenties and early thirties who now live wittth their parents
one in four
because of tsky-high house prices and rents
high cost of tuition fees at university
–> th e number of boomerang children has soared to 3,3M
An international study claimed
Children in the UK are among the least active in the world
physical activity being stripped out of merdern lifestyles
the head of NHS England
Simon Stevens called for radical changes in family routines and said exercise was a “magic pill”
brits are drinking
42% more than they were 20 years ago
the rise has been powered by
increased consumption among women
être alimené par
to be powered by
a leading children’s charity
the NSPCC warned social media are making UK children unhappy and fuelling an increase in self-harm.
TM
announced that she is changing the law to allow new grammar schools to be created
grammar schools
secondary schools in England and Wales
this decision
is proving to be divisive among politicians.
reopened the longg-standing debate over the merits and fairness of selective education
