I have noticed over the years that the energy has just been drained from the country, probably since COVID. It's because of the cost of living and that kind of thing. It's hard to consider working harder when you're not paid enough for a comfortable standard of living let alone luxuries such as buying a house.
Our little one has just started nursery and there is basically no point in my partner working 5 days a week because due to childcare costs she would only gain £50pm more. We're lucky that we have my salary but then if I work overtime on my salary then I would be taxed 40% on every £1 extra I earn so I don't bother. Work and effort just doesn't really pay and where it does it's quickly taken away from you.
If people aren't comfortable then they lose faith in the system and many even lash out at the system. The government doesn't act upon this because unfortunately it is cheaper to have a significant number of people claiming peanuts on benefits than it is to invest at great cost in infastructure, the economy etc to help them get them off benefits.
What's really happening is there is an underclass of people who are happy to accept living on peanuts handed to them by the state because the alternative is well living on peanuts earnt by themselves instead. Peanuts are still peanuts.