U.K. economy hit by the big freeze
Despite the fact that other countries around the world live in subzero temperatures for many months of the year it seems yet again that the UK is nowhere near equipped to cope with the ongoing cold snap. We have news from postal services that post and parcels will be late because of the weather, local councils are running short of grit and in many places have stopped gritting roads and thousands of working hours have been lost over the last few days.
While there is no doubt that the weather currently hovering over the UK is like nothing seen in recent years, it does show how woefully inadequate backup services are in the country. When you consider that countries such as Norway and Canada for example, where subzero temperatures are the norm, can maintain their economic output throughout the year, why is the UK currently struggling?
It is difficult to put a finger on one particular issue which has caused the devastation across the UK although perhaps a lack of forward planning and funding for local councils are two particular issues which may well come to the fore in the days and weeks ahead. There is a need to review the situation, once the cold snap is finished, and see if lessons can be learned.
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