In swindon, a town 80 miles to the west of London which thrived during the boom years now ended, the recession is biting hard. Regent Street is busy on a cold Friday afternoon, but the most favoured shops are those selling cheap goods, such as Poundland, where everything costs just ￡1 ($1.44). And if Poundland is busy, the government-run Jobcentre Plus in Princes Street is teeming with people looking for work after recent lay-offs.rnThe rest of the country has run into even greater economic turbulence. For a decade the British economy won plaudits for its good behaviour, not least from foreign investors whose confidence kept sterling strong and stable. Since the global financial crisis began in August 2007, that image has Been thoroughly trashed: growth has turned to recession; unemployment is mounting; and the pound has suffered its biggest fall since the 1970s.
展开▼
