'There is sympathy for the striking workers - the government is in the firing line'

The public's appetite to confront the government has never been higher, writes Keir Mudie, who has noticed strong support for workers leading industrial action as they demand fair pay

Striking Royal Mail workers march through London (

Image: Getty Images)

I've been up north for a while, which is fine, but 100% made me realize how sweet it is to live in the south.

First of all, it's cold. Like, very cold. Baltic. Arctic. I had forgotten how hard it is to get out of bed. The whole region should benefit from a winter fuel bonus and a giant electric blanket. Seriously.

Second, there is very little evidence of any kind of "upgrading" going on anywhere I've been.

There were statistics last week about banks leaving the high street and being replaced by tattoo parlours. This means that in some parts of the country, it's easier to get a travelers check tattooed on your chest than to pick one up at your branch.

Public support favors strikers, says Keir

Also, most pubs in the city have closed. The decent ones anyway.

The good news, however, is that my local is still open, and it's nice to be back there after a decade of dangerously overcharging Guinness.

We're talking about the World Cup here, of course, but when it comes to politics, it's the strike. That's all people talk about. Strikes and the support they receive.

There were some interesting conversations. The poll showed that in the summer the strikers had broad public support. It has gone down a bit since then but still holds up.

The figures show that 60% of us support nurses, slightly less support teachers, and there is good support for railway and postal workers.