Sun front page predicting return to 1970s backfires spectacularly

The Sun has warned its readers we face a return to the 1970s amid a summer of ‘union hell’.

People have been told to prepare for travel chaos over the coming weeks as rail strikes are “likely” to go ahead.

Chief Treasury secretary Simon Clarke said he was sorry for the “misery” the disruption will cause but it was not up to the Government to resolve the dispute behind the biggest walkout in the industry for more than 30 years.

He told Sky News: “I fear it is likely they will go ahead…

“I think the public do this week need to be aware there will be very substantial disruption and it is therefore sensible to make preparations for that.”

It has also been reported that teachers and nurses might join in with strike action.

New strike chaos as teachers and NHS staff warn of action over pay https://t.co/6Nd33CZ8Rd

— Guardian news (@guardiannews) June 18, 2022

Barristers

Elsewhere, even Barristers have voted to go on strike in a row over legal aid funding.

The Criminal Bar Association (CBA), which represents barristers in England and Wales, said several days of court walkouts will begin from next week.

The promised industrial action, announced on Monday following a ballot of members, comes at a time of significant backlogs across the court system.

Sun 1970s

In reaction to these potential industrial disputes The Sun wrote: “Teachers and binmen threaten to join railway workers’ strike – causing chaos not seen since the 1970s.”

The headline read: “We regret to announce that this country is returning to the 1970s.”

On tomorrow's front page: Teachers and binmen threaten to join railway workers' strike – causing chaos not seen since the 1970s https://t.co/jXfzhamHqr pic.twitter.com/8vQmBE2lDi

— The Sun (@TheSun) June 19, 2022

Reactions

A LOT of people were quick to point out the paper’s previous comments about a return to the ’70s and who would cause it.

1.

This tweet is all you need really…

Your readers should be left in no doubt as The Sun's political credibilityhttps://t.co/3aXnEmfsPR

— Sir Spraindsquirrel #FBPA #FBPPR (@Spraindsquirrel) June 20, 2022

2.

Strangely found myself agree with headline of The Sun: "We regret to announce that this country is returning to the 1970s"

Brexit, mother/father of all problems, precisely takes us 50 years back. We told you so. Many times!

— FrogyUK🌿🐾💚🇪🇺💙 (@frogyuk) June 20, 2022

3.

Here’s a fun picture of Tony Gallagher — then editor of The Sun, now deputy editor of The Times — on a lovely jog with Boris Johnson back in 2017. pic.twitter.com/pGciLfkTbs

— Mic Wright (@brokenbottleboy) June 19, 2022

34.

Remember when if you said Brexit would take Britain back to the 70s it was derided as “project fear”? Now it’s the The Sun’s headline, even if they can’t bring themselves to blame the obvious just yet.

— Nick Tyrone (@NicholasTyrone) June 20, 2022

5.

https://twitter.com/chimerical_cal/status/1538777622842335233

6.

The Sun said the UK would return to the 1970s under Jeremy Corbyn.

How times have changed. https://t.co/r094LMZmSc

— Freddie (@FreddieBailey96) June 20, 2022

7.

https://twitter.com/Kelly_Grehan/status/1538786455904034816

8.

The Sun now admitting Brexit will take the UK back to the 1970s
Just exactly what Brexiteers were told pic.twitter.com/cqjzlRfw9v

— Columbcat (@ColubaCat) June 20, 2022

This tweet from Sept 2021 is worth a revisit.

https://twitter.com/virgosam70/status/1439607046815555591

Related: Watch: Another Tory MP refuses to blame Brexit as airlines cancel thousands of summer flights