War with Russia, a global economic recession, AI threatening to make millions of jobs redundant are all things that could upend the UK and lead to a downfall of its respected standing
The UK faces an ever-uncertain future as dictators aim to drag Brits into prolonged wars, AI threatens to snatch millions of jobs and Downing Street having a track record of failing to meet the challenge.
Just 20 years ago, the British economy was the envy of much of the world, Europe appeared stable and the UK military was strong enough to play a strategic role in supporting the US in Middle Eastern wars. But fast forward to today, the UK economy is in tatters, a revolving door of Prime Ministers has damaged our reputation and war looms on the continent.
In decades past, the UK could rely on strong – if not controversial leadership – but the recently released COVID-19 inquiry report shows leaders up and down the country crumbled in the face of threats to the nation. The damning 800-page report revealed the UK failed to manage the pandemic and said as many as 23,000 lives could have been saved had it not been for a “toxic and chaotic culture” in Boris Johnson’s government in 2020.
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Five years on, the UK is a precarious position, suffering from a crippling cost of living, global finances in disarray and the consolidation of AI mega corporation poised to eliminate vast numbers of jobs. Here are just some of the potential threats that could topple the UK.
War in Europe
Vladimir Putin shattered decades of post-WW2 peace on the continent when he ordered an invasion of Ukraine back in the spring of 2022. The conflict has descended into a meat grinder with Moscow willing to hurl tens of thousands of its soldiers to their deaths and ushering North Korean soldiers to the front lines.
While the war has largely been contained within Ukraine’s borders, Russia has become increasingly bold in launching strikes along Ukraine’s border with NATO member states and being suspected of sabotaging railway tracks in Poland, another country signed up to the defensive alliance.
Putin has also made no secret of his imperial ambitions and has denied Ukrainian statehood and has increasingly connected Russia to its imperial past. This has sparked fear among Russia’s neighbours that Putin could order an invasion of one of the nations that were once under the grip of the Soviet Union with many being NATO members, meaning the UK would be dragged into a conflict with Moscow.
AI wiping out jobs
The world you grew up in is gone, and nothing exemplifies this more than the rapid march of AI. Seemingly harmless only a few years ago with viral videos shared online of a Will Smith knock-off eating spaghetti setting social media ablaze has given way to a juggernaut threatening to make millions of workers redundant.
Alarm bells have been set off only recently with the growth of AI being touted as a means to hire fewer entry-level graduates. The Institute for Public Policy Research said nearly 8 million jobs in the UK could be lost to AI, leading to a “jobs apocalypse.”
Women, younger workers and lower paid workers were said to be most at risk from job automation. The IPPR previously said women are more likely to be affect as “they are more likely to work in the most exposed occupations, such as secretarial and administrative occupations.”
The next pandemic
The recent Covid-19 inquiry report found disgraced ex-Prime Minister Johnson presided over a “toxic” Downing Street that failed to act in a way that could have saved as many as 23,000 lives. The UK-wide Covid-19 Inquiry released its second of 10 reports on Thursday, criticising the decision-making of both the UK and devolved governments. Beyond showy daily briefings, inquiry chair Baroness Hallet said the actions of the UK’s four governments had been “too little, too late.”
The report also recommended fresh structures to replace and streamline decision making in the result of another similar national emergency. It advises creating a register of experts who can be drawn upon for advice and further scrutiny of powers.
A concerning trend globally, particularly in the US, is the rise of vaccine scepticism with viruses such as measles making a terrifying comeback and threatening a unified response to eliminate the threat of any new, and deadly, virus.
The next major recession
The UK stock market hit a one-month low today amid concerns of an AI bubble that could spark another global recession. Shares tumbled amid concerns the bubble could burst with markets in the US going haywire over a mixed jobs market in the country.
Trump’s tariffs have also sent costs soaring for Americans, denting consumer spending power and making it more expensive for UK businesses to get their product to the world’s most lucrative market. While economic news does appear stronger in the Eurozone, the UK erected trade barriers with the EU following Brexit.
The cost of living crisis, triggered in part by post-pandemic inflation, remains stubborn with UK officials uncertain of how to make the country more affordable for its citizens.
Climate change collapse
A more existential threat that faces the UK is the potential collapse of the Gulf Stream that turbo charges the country’s mild temperatures and keeps Siberia-like white outs at bay. Scientists warned earlier this year of a “shocking” discovery that showed the Atlantic current collapse was no longer low-likelihood.
Climate models show a collapse could happen between 2300 and 2500. While these dates are hundreds of years away, they could prove devastating with temperatures tumbling across Europe to conditions similar to Canada and Siberia in winter.