1976

ITV4's 'The Story of Punk'  (shown 3 Dec) was much better than BBC Radio 2's 'England's Still Dreaming - 30 Years of Punk' (2 & 9 Dec). Nevertheless, the narrative, and (Sir) Bob Geldof (Boomtown Rat) 's comments, made reference to rubbish piling up on the streets etc. This borrows forward an image from 1978-9, the so-called 'winter of discontent'. Also, the bits about 'everybody seemed to be on strike all the time' would relate more to confrontations with the Heath government, 1970-4.

The more significant events for the period are surely: inflation reaching, I think, 27% in the summer of 1975; the public spending cuts of March 1976; the currency crisis and the government being forced to apply for a loan from the IMF in September 1976.

Update: towards the end of the programme, Geldof also spoke of punk paving the way for Thatcher and how Thatcher also attacked institutions such as the monarchy. I'm sorry, I must have missed that one.