Suicide’s Rite Puts Focus on Jobless Plight

The plight of Britain’s 2.5 million jobless dominated the funeral today of an unemployed road sweeper who burned himself to death outside Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s office last month.

Depressed at his failure to find a job, Derek Brainbridge, 40, set himself ablaze in his gasoline-doused car at the entrance to London’s Downing Street, only 100 yards from the prime minister’s residence. “Too young to retire, too old to die,” read the suicide note Brainbridge left.

The Rev. Brian Hunt told the funeral service in Brainbridge’s north English hometown of Worksop that many of the area’s 15% unemployed shared his desperation.

“They know the experience; they may also feel acute criticism of other people who think it’s their fault that they are unemployed,” Hunt said.

The congregation was joined by several groups of jobless from other British cities.

One mourner, Steven Brown, said: “I came here because I can understand what Derek Brainbridge went through. People can’t understand how you feel having to pay for rent, gas and electricity when you don’t have a job.”