Britain going downhill is no surprise!

It was the epicentre of a vast empire once and was called 'the empire on which the sun never sets.'

- BY DR UPUL WIJAYAWARDHANA

That was in the 18th & 19th centuries and the early part of the 20th century when some parts of it had sunshine, anytime in the day, due to the sheer vastness of the British Empire. That was no mean feat for a small European country with a relatively small population that changed the world, with the Industrial revolution at the height of its empire. What is its position today? Though some attempt to label it as a small, inconsequential European country, it still has a clout beyond its size. However, there is no doubt whatsoever that it is on a downhill slope, mostly because of the actions of politicians.

Britain became bankrupt by fighting World War II to save Europe from the aggression of Hitler, a fact often forgotten by some of the ungrateful European nations. Despite this, the British NHS was established in 1948 as there were politicians with foresight like Aneurin Bevan. In no time it gained the reputation of being the best healthcare system in the world as it delivered free universal health care. However, some latter-day politicians, who worshipped 'Uncle Sam,' wanted to ape the American system, though it was never shown to be as effective, by changing it to a better managed system with disastrous consequences, as explained in my article “Shock therapy for ailing British NHS” (The Island, 17 March).