The Queen celebrates her platinum jubilee this weekend, marking 70 years since she

ascended to the throne in 1952.

The last and grandest symbol of all is the crown of St. Edward.

It is blessed by the Archbishop at the altar.

The climax of the ceremony has arrived, when the Archbishop gently sets this splendid emblem

on the Queen's head and the trumpet's sound.

Welcome to Payne's Politics, your essential insider guide to British politics from the

Financial Times, with me Sebastian Payne.

In this week's episode we'll be tackling something a little different.

As you heard at the top, the UK is in full celebration mode over a four-day weekend, marking

all those decades St. Queen Elizabeth II took to the throne.

But instead of indulging ourselves in a discussion about her majesty, we're going to be looking

at how Britain has changed since she took to the throne.

From the you've never had it so good years of the 1950s, to the stagflation turmoil of

the 1970s, the resurgent 1990s, to the post-pandemic post-Brexit turbulence of today.

To discuss, I'm delighted to have with me in the studio our political editor George Parker,

economics editor Chris Strauss, and associate editor in columnist Sarah O'Connor.

Thank you all for joining the pod.

So, the Britain of February 1952, when Queen Elizabeth II took to the throne, was a country

almost wholly unrecognizable from the one of today.

Back then, the Prime Minister was a slightly tired bounder who was struggling to adapt

to the age of modernity.

...