Economics
Britain Tries to Banish Ghost of Austerity Past
Many workers who suffered during a decade of spending cuts are keeping the country going during the coronavirus pandemic.
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As the U.K. figures out how to restart its economy, the realization that key workers bore the brunt of spending cuts after the last crisis is shaping the debate over who pays for the latest one.
Billboards and television ads praising the National Health Service for confronting the coronavirus pandemic stand in contrast with regular studies showing how front-line staff earn below the target minimum wage. That’s putting pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government to ensure that the bill for its massive aid program to help businesses and households stay afloat doesn’t land on those who can least afford it.