[anovikov]

Economic growth is low because of democracy. (A little) more than half of all Brits are against growth (or at least against almost every imaginable policy that stimulates growth) because they reasonably believe this is against their interests. Older people with little education and some accumulated property will only lose from growth, the more of them in a democratic society, the less growth will happen. This isn't some failure of leadership, but a conscious intent by majority of population. UK is a conservative country and not by mistake.