Has Britain lost its backbone? Living costs are crushing us but nobody dares protest

Has Britain lost its backbone? In 2000, when petrol prices were soaring and supply was limited, Britons took to the forecourts to protest. Subsequent protests in 2005 and 2007 followed, with blockades of oil facilities and widespread panic buying.

Fast forward to 2026, with diesel topping £2 a litre for the first time, drivers facing the highest prices ever, and we're doing nothing at all. Not a protest, not a peep.

What do we do instead? Grumble, moan and worry. Especially the worry. Every national poll shows the cost of living is the number one concern, and there seems to be no end in sight.

OK, Donald Trump and the G7 have come to a deal over diesel and crude oil for now, but this is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Drivers will be relieved at the drop in forecourt prices which is promised 'in the next few weeks', but this is only a sticking plaster. Winter is on its way, and the majority of UK households are worried about soaring fuel, food and energy bills.

We have cut back, turned down the heating, given up the meals out and other treats, but this isn't about luxury holidays or a new car; this is about the cost of everyday life. Farmers, truckers, cabbies doing their work, parents getting the kids to school, old people getting to hospital appointments, families filling the shopping basket. How much more can we afford?

Something seems to have gone awry with the British spirit. As a nation we've faced hard times before – far tougher times during the 20th century, especially the inter-war years when shortages and hardship were a real issue for families, but there was a sense of solidarity. Dig for victory, keep calm and carry on, make do and mend. We're all in it together.

So why, in the face of tough times, do we all just do nothing? Many factors are at play: there is apathy, even laziness, where people can't be bothered. Prices of basic food items have doubled or tripled in the past few years, but we shrug and cut back and do nothing. Easier to sit on your sofa and stare at your smartphone than get up and do something about it.

There is an atomised society, where many of us don't know our neighbours, don't see our colleagues, don't feel any sense of togetherness with our fellow citizens.

There is a sense of helplessness, knowing that anything we do will have no effect. We are constantly told these are factors outside the Government's control. The war in Ukraine has pushed up prices, the Iran conflict and the Strait of Hormuz have pushed up prices. 'It's the global situation, don't blame us,' they say.

There is a sense of exhaustion. Britons seem to be defeated by the past few years. Ever since the Covid pandemic and lockdown, we've been told what we can do and where we can go and who we can see. Perhaps it's no surprise we don't have time or energy to protest.

Finally, there's the fear factor: many demonstrations in recent months have been heavily policed, ending up in arrests and even violence. No wonder many of us don't dare get involved in public gatherings.

To be clear, I'm not advocating violent civil unrest. I'm a pacifist, and I abhor any form of physical confrontation and conflict. But there is far more that we could do, as a population, to stand up and tell our leaders that we can't take any more. We are skint, bankrupt, stony broke.

Britons are not stupid. We see the billions of dollars of profits being raked in by the oil and gas companies, and something doesn't add up. The future is uncertain, politically, economically and globally, but one thing's for sure. If we're going to face it with any optimism and build a better Britain, we need to find our backbone again.