Britain | Bagehot

Britons turn into Borat when it comes to health, housing and avocados

Column For Make Benefit of Glorious NHS 

Borat cheering on the NHS
Image: Nate Kitch

Even by the standards of Britain’s odd love affair with the National Health Service (nhs), the organisation’s 75th anniversary celebrations were weird. At a special service at Westminster Abbey on July 5th, the nhs’s George Cross award (Britain’s highest civilian accolade for gallantry, no less) was solemnly paraded. The prime minister and leader of the opposition gave readings. “The home of God is among mortals,” said Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, quoting Revelations in homage to an organisation that removes kidney stones. The Dean of Westminster declared that “The nhs sets before us all the better angels of our nature.”

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Borat’s Britain ”

From the July 8th 2023 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Britain

Crew members during the commissioning of HMS Prince of Wales

Has the Royal Navy become too timid?

A new paper examines how its culture has changed

A pedestrian walks across the town square in Stevenage

A plan to reorganise local government in England runs into opposition

Turkeys vote against Christmas


David Lammy, Britain’s foreign secretary

David Lammy’s plan to shake up Britain’s Foreign Office

Diplomats will be tasked with growing the economy and cutting migration


Britain’s government has spooked markets and riled businesses

Tax rises were inevitable. Such a shaky start was not

Labour’s credibility trap

Who can believe Rachel Reeves?