There are two sides to everything though. Chronic underinvestment by companies happy to pay out dividends to shareholders was and still is a huge problem in the UK. Uk workers are low on productivity measures not because they are lazy or left wing wreckers but becauase they are using outdated techniques and equipment and UK industry thrives on a low pay mentality. Workers are cheap and easily disposed of equipment is expensive and needs a long term view.

Too bad all those years under a labor government did not do anything to help all those oppressed workers. Oh, wait a minute. Maybe all the resources required to make things better for the working poor went to Tony Blair: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323523/Home-No-8-Blairs-snap-600-000-rural-retreat-Cottage-near-5-75m-mansion-bought-cash-ex-PMs-sister.html. I guess that socialism works better for some than for others....