Seriously thinking about leaving the UK

I know three people who've moved to France without any difficulties. All of them are self-employed in roles that can be done remotely from anywhere with decent internet access. They all got residence after a year or so without any difficulty.

One of them has barely any French, even after living there for 2-3 years.

They've never assimilated though, and they're part of a large group of UK ex-pats who all socialise together.

Australia. The most sexist misogynistic uncultured place I’ve ever been. And now they think people with dicks (otherwise known as men) can be women. No thank you.

And how big was this island you were on?

Quite. It's how we end up with people moving to idyllic places they spent a fortnight in on holiday, like Cornwall.

Then they move here and slowly realise Cornwall is the poorest county in England, with a dearth of jobs, homes, opportunities, tertiary education, public transport, national chains and health services.... And many move away again to get access to those things. But how different can it be, it's still England.... 🤔

Best TV theme tune ever!

I just looked for images of Button Moon. I think I remember it with rose tinted glasses. It’s not like I remember it for sure. Or I wonder if I’m thinking of Fraggle Rock. Or the Moomins, they lived in a muslin looking place.

But moving to another country is difficult and Op wants to leave UK. So she needs visa in each of them.

She has written her criteria in Op, so based on that I suggested her these options. Learning foreign language is not impossible. I moved to my 4th country, 2 of them had a language different from my mother tongue and English.

Also, op will need to have a good career behind her, which I assume she her partner does from her op. So before moving, she or her partner has to apply and secure job in that country.

It’s not easy but leaving your country is never easy and post Brexit UK citizens don’t have the luxury of packing bags and moving to an EU country. Most of those countries are having similar problems anyways.

😂😂

Possibly Button Moon given that she’s concerned people will be made of muslin

Went to Canada in April, full of people engaging in general conversation when they heard the British accent and saying they wanted to leave!

True but this world to a great extent is every man for himself. So best is to think about your personal circumstances and try to create a life which is good for you. If that means moving to another country with better financial opportunities, then so be it as long as it makes you happy.

You can move to one of the higher income countries in Europe.

You can't 'move' just like that though.

You'd need permission to live and work there, a job lined up and an ability to speak the local language. And even then, you'll likely find a variation of the same problems you find here.

The grass is not greener in Canada, USA or Europe at the moment. Think wisely before decide.
If you have the moneys to not work here that is another story because you will have that money there.
If is because you are fed up of the weather, we'll there is places with a more benevolent one.

Are you going to move through work? Canada is facing similar issues like UK. If you work in a corporate sector, you have a better chance in the US. Cost of living is higher but so are salaries. Though in current climate, many would avoid it.

You can move to one of the higher income countries in Europe. Quality of life is better. You will be close to UK for visiting children. But you maybe notice all those high income European countries are a bit dull and hard to create social life in when you move in your middle age.

YANBU OP, when I retire I am likely to move away from the UK (assuming things are as bad as they are now). I have an EU passport so that helps. Yes, every country has problems but the UK seems uniquely incapable of addressing them. Having worked in or close to the public sector for 20 years I am tired of having the same conversations about the same issues and failing to implement the common-sense solutions!

UK is 17th ranked when you use the criteria of % for of gdp. I think % of gdp is a better indicator than per capita. Because if your gdp is low, you won’t be able to pay much per person.

UK is ranked above Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and many other countries.

A lot of countries which are highly ranked like France, Belgium are already having problems.

In the end, it’s a number game. If your income is low, you would spend less on per person. If you have too many people, then the amount will become smaller.

I live in Switzerland, crime is low, quality of life is high. They are able to achieve that with much lower % of GDP.

You are in genuine need for benefits but there are plenty who exploits the system. UK doesn’t have that pot of money which comes from income. Which industry in UK is flourishing? What is UK known for in recent times? Technology, Innovation, manufacturing? What is it selling that world is buying? US has a lot of problems, but they have booming technology and other industries which employ a lot of people. Any major company website you open and see how many job positions are in US versus UK. UK has no focus in developing technology, industries and creating jobs. So where the gdp is not that high compared to other developed countries and there is no plan to increase it so benefit system has become increasingly unsustainable.

Can you take a sabbatical or extended holiday/annual leave and travel a bit. You say you're fed up of the UK but I don't think the places you've listed are any better. Cost of living in north America (US and Canada) is much much higher than the UK, so that's not addressing your issue at all. Do you have skill sets that mean you'd be able yo get a visa abroad? Do you speak any languages?
I think you need time away, to explore new places (don't holiday there, rent an air bnb in a normal town, talk to local people, use the supermarkets and the local infrastructure and see what you think). In my experience most people absolutely love the NHS when they visit here or live here as immigrants, they cannot believe they can just "get" health care and applaud it- there will be some massive culture shocks of things you feel entitled to that are simply not provided elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, I don't disagree that there are issues, and other countries will address some of them, but they will also have their own inequalities and faults. Do some more research first.

Having lived in other countries around the world and travelled around a lot of others believe me, the UK might not be perfect but it’s certainly better than 98% of other places you could choose to live.

Why do you think Americans make YouTube videos about how great they find the UK for crime, healthcare etc and why so many asylum seekers would rather come here than stay in France?

"people aren't taking personal responsibility and claiming benefits"

"Prices are getting too expensive for me"

I wonder if these two things are related and apply to others?

I think it is natural to reassess your life when your DC finally become closer to being independent.

There is nothing wrong with fancying a change of pace. Just do your research first and make sure that it is not a case of the grass being greener. Every country has it's pros and cons.

Have you considered a move to a different part of the UK?
What about a holiday home/timeshare somewhere else? A few people I know intend to split their time between countries.

I would always keep a base in the UK, as it could be harder to restart if you sell up fully.

I think it’s unlikely he said that since it’s not true. Asylum seekers are housed (what’s the alternative?). They get a (small) subsistence allowance, not ‘benefits’ and they aren’t allowed to work.

France has a higher productivity rate than the UK (but because we work more hours it balances out). But there are definitely things they do better. They have better infrastructure (trains) but then they have for a long time invested more in it. Which means higher taxes
Yes, better infrastructure but they also pay higher taxes, no free healthcare, and a higher rate of tax paid in welfare. All the issues we moan about, schools and hospitals are worse in France. As for politics, even more of a horror show!

We are just back from 3 weeks in Australia, and all I can say, is that it was like Utopia compared to the UK

Apart from the massive housing crisis, soaring cost of living and the looming catastrophe of climate change?

Anywhere can 'seem like Utopia' on a brief visit.

On that US Uni drinking 😉. It’s called fake IDs. The student union even hand them out at …..

But most things you mentioned here are not relevant to op.

She is not younger than 21. She is not planning to have more kids.

US has a lot of problems but there are nice small towns/ suburban areas with great sense of community.