Incapacity is not the cure for unemployment

In the 1970s, with its economy in a mess, Britain was regularly described as the sick man of Europe....

In the 1970s, with its economy in a mess, Britain was regularly described as the sick man of Europe. That's no longer true metaphorically - the UK has by far the healthiest economy in Europe. Yet, it's now true literally - the UK has far more sick people than any other major economy. Indeed, Britain has so many ill people, it is prompting some observers to reassess whether its economy is as healthy as is regularly portrayed. Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown like to boast about how the UK has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. "When Labour came to off...