Our winter of discontent is rooted in government’s ignorance of problems

Britain has Brexit, America has Donald Trump and Ireland now finally appears to have its winter of discontent. In different ways, all three phenomena come from the same root: dissatisfaction on the ground as governments ignore or make worse the problems faced by real people.

Every autumn, editors roll out that hoary old chestnut: “Are we heading for a winter of discontent?” The answer right through the recession was a firm “No”. Trade ...