Britain is a textbook case of how growing inequality leads to economic crisis. The years before the crash were marked by a sharp rise in remortgaging and the growth of 0 percent balance transfer credit cards. By 2008 the UK had the highest ratio of household debt to GDP of any major economy.

In February 2013 Frances O'Grady was assessed as the 11th most powerful woman in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. She was a fan of drama and by the age of 17 was also learning about the world of work. Her grandfather was a founder member of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union and her father was a shop steward at the Leyland car plant in Cowley.