1984 composite — Was Britain really better in 1984? Photograph: Rex Features

Is Ukip right – was life really better in 1984?

This article is more than 9 years old

Two thirds of Ukip voters would like to turn back the clock to the way Britain was 20 or 30 years ago. Sam Wollastan peers back through the mists of time to see if they have a point

Basking in the prospect of Westminster success after Rochester and Strood they may be, but according to a new poll from YouGov, 68% of Ukip voters would like to turn back the clock to the way Britain was 20 or 30 years ago. In comparison, only 36% of Labour voters feel similarly misty eyed, while for the Tories it’s 33%. As for the Lib Dems, 28% of their supporters pine for the recent past.

But was Britain really better in 1984? Back then the wife of the future king was expecting a second child, England fans sang “No surrender to the IRA”; and Bob Geldof and bunch of famous musicians made a charity record called Do They Know It’s Christmas?, for Africa, which went to No 1 at Christmas.

Thirty years on the wife of the future king is expecting a second child, England fans are singing “Fuck the IRA”, Bob Geldof and a bunch of famous musicians make a charity record called Do They Know It’s Christmas?, for Africa, which will likely be No 1 at Christmas.

Never mind better, was 1984 even different? Well, a few things were ...

Five things that were better in 1984

1. Michael Buerk
In 1984 the BBC news man gave a powerful commentary on the famine in Ethiopia, a report that sparked 30 years of charity records (surely they know it’s Christmas by now). Today Michael is in the jungle with Tinchy and Kendra and a bunch of other former celebrities trying to become celebrities again by eating witchetty grubs.

Michael Buerk on the Nine O'Clock News. — Michael Buerk reading the news. Photograph: The Guardian

2. Attention spans
You could have an actual face-to-face conversation with someone, without them talking to someone else at the same time, on the internet. The interwhat?

3. The Labour party
It felt like The Labour party, remember? No, probably not.

Arthur Scargill, president of the National Union of MIneworker, speaks at a Labour Party rally in Stoke on Trent as Neil Kinnock (left), December 1984 — Arthur Scargill, president of the National Union of Mineworkers, speaks at a Labour rally in Stoke in December 1984 as Neil Kinnock (left) listens. Photograph: Denis Thorpe/The Guardian

4. Holidays
The beach, in Spain (not yet in the European Union), armed with Hawaiian Tropic and Sun-In. Now if you go Spain at all, it has to be some eco-cheese-making course with a donkey sanctuary attached and composting toilet. Otherwise it’s bloody Cornwall, again ...

Lloret de Mar, Spain — Lloret de Mar in Spain. Photograph: Rex Features

5. Music
Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince (again) v Ed Sheeran, Tom Odell, Cheryl whatever she’s now called. Case closed.

Prince in Purple Rain in 1984. — Purple reign. Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/WARNER BROS

Five things that were worse

Television

I know everyone says it used to be marvellous but it wasn’t. There were only four channels (four!) for a start. If you missed something, that was it – you missed it. But it didn’t matter because it was probably just Prisoner Cell Block H, or Corrie, or Dallas. Or The Jewel in the Crown if you were posh. (I realise I will now get bombarded by abuse and loads of brilliant television that was around in 1984, like what about Cheers?)

Prisoner: Cell Block H: rubbish. Photograph: Fremantle Picture Library

2. Women
I mean better to be a woman now, not that women now are better. The PM might have been one, and a jumbo jet was captained by one for the first time in 1984 – but there no priests in the church of England then; certainly no bishops. Elton John married one – a woman – in 1984, incidentally. That was also rubbish.

Elton John And Renate Blauel get married. — Elton John and Renate Blauel get married. Photograph: Patrick Riviere/Getty Images

3. Hair
Everyone’s hair is better now, including Elton John’s. And footballers’, especially footballers’. Even the royals have better hair; compare Kate’s to Diana’s. Compare Amal’s to … Limahl’s.