Do you remember June 1974? I do. Conservative Prime Minister Ted Heath had called an unnecessary snap elelection. He lost and we had a minority Labour government. Britain was viewed as 'the sick man of Europe'. It was the height of the troubles in Ulster, fuelled by collusion between the British state and Unionists and their paramilitary friends. Europe dominated the election with feverish talk of a referendum on membership. The England football team weren't very good and were at home for the summer (having failed to qualify for the World Cup). Taxes were rising, spending was out of control and everyone was scared to death of what the bloke in the Kremlin might do. The 'Arabs' had triggered a massive economic crisis, by forming OPEC to hike up oil prices.
It is funny just how much everything is different and everything stays the same. Theresa May started the campaign as the new Maggie Thatcher and ended it as the new Ted Heath. It's quite ironic that she accused Jeremy Corbyn of wanting to take us back to the 1970's really. Personally, I live in hope though, by my reckoning in two years, we'll have a punk rock explosion!
Life in 1974. I wish I was around.
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