Seriously thinking about leaving the UK

I don’t agree, it’s understanding bureaucracy, how things function, what happens when you have an accident , need a gp , what schools are like etc. what it’s culturally like to work there. Chatting with the locals isn’t it.

I think the OP and people in agreement on this thread help us understand what motivates those desperate people who cross the channel in small boats - they think their own countries are awful and are seeking a better life for themselves and their children.

That doesn’t stop you moving though.

I completely feel you OP and we felt the same. We did lots of research, travelled a bit, tried places with 'living there' eyes and.....I dunno.

Dubai was too bling, too hot, too consumerist. Aus was too far away, too little culture. Canada having massive COL crisis and issues not dissimilar to ours. We came back from our travels and had a new appreciation for the small things- local pubs, UK scenary, the culture we have, the humour.

I agree UK isnt perfect and some parts are WAYY worse than others. We have found a pocket that we love with good friends, its safe, free education and healthcare (when you start to look at the cost of this as an immigrant/ex pat it is HUGE!).

You aren’t living in those countries though, you are a visitor, it changes your mindset.

germany to me as a visitor seemed charming and quirky when everything shut on a holy day or a Sunday and shops where we were didn’t open beyond 6pm. I’d imagine that would wear thin quite soon if I lived there - and I live in a village in Lancashire so I’m not exactly in a metropolis.

Well, it obviously depends on going beyond the tourist sites and getting into the real ins and outs, including having proper conversations with locals.

Sounds like you are burned out - other countries are exactly the same but you might like the weather or the culture . Most of your ‘state of the country’ rant just seems to be social media/daily mail copy and paste rather than reality. When the social fabric that you may have benefited from falls apart after a decade of recession, Brexit, a pandemic and austerity, how do you expect people to feel? The LEAST the government can do is invest back into communities. On that note: Canada is worse 🤣

I’ve lived abroad in various places. Trust me, the UK is a shit hole compared to other first world countries. The attitude and the culture is better elsewhere. State pension the lowest in Europe. It’s gone to hell in a handcart. But some issues are global of course. Other places aren’t paradise.

Funny isn’t it. Dd thinks it’s shit here in the U.K. and is desperate to move to Canada. Her Canadian bf isn’t overly impressed with Canada and wants to move here. His sister has already moved here. Grass is not always greener.

UK, Ireland, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand.

This is the article I read but I've no idea how true any of it is. Although it does make sense that island nations would be safer places to be, if everything truly turns to shit.

https://earth.org/best-places-to-live-to-avoid-climate-change/

“Spending time” in countries isn’t the same as living there long enough to get a proper feel of their issues….

This is really interesting reading, but the poor are never the people saying they are going to move. (At least on mumsnet).

I suppose they want to live somewhere that feels richer all round. Like services and schools seem nice and its cleaner.

@TheCookieCrumblesThisWay my friend in Calgary has had days in the -30's where she's been unable to get out of the house. She gets snowed in every year too.

Off you go

Canadian here laughing at the ‘they can’t go outside’ comment.we have the -25C to +40C temp range where I am. Our homes have heating and air conditioning and it’s not an issue at all. Yes it’s very expensive here but the quality of life is fantastic. I feel extremely fortunate that my kids are growing up in this country and society. They are outdoorsy year round and going to fantastic schools. Housing is very expensive but hopefully that won’t stay that way with various initiatives being introduced. Saying all that immigration rules are very strict and we do have some Maple-Magas who would be better suited to the US.

You sort of are and aren't being unreasonable. There's people on benefits in every country, not because they don't work but because they don't get paid enough. Yes there are some on disability who are unable to work but I guarantee you they wish they could. Disabled people are everywhere and they are entitled to support. It's almost impossible to be one of those people who claim benefits in order not to work these days because the government have massively clamped down on it. The tabloids would have you believe that it's 'immigrants' getting all the cash and houses but this is also absolute bullshit. The majority of welfare payments are pensions because we have an aging population and a reduced birth rate. It's pretty much the same in every developed country.

However! I am really sick of the our biased media constantly spouting outright lies. I'm sick of the government and their complicity in genocide (amongst many other things). I'm sick of the NHS being deliberately underfunded, if it was funded and run effectively, we'd all be better off as a nation as healthier people means less people relying on benefits.

Personally, I'd move to Norway, Denmark or Sweden if I could. Or possibly Ireland.

No, it kind of is a UK thing. I know a lot of people like to think that it is the same in comparable countries but the UK is doing worse financially than most similar countries in Europe. The poor are just getting poorer. Just look at this UK inving standard review from March this year for example: https://niesr.ac.uk/publications/uk-living-standards-review-2025?type=report.

I don't see the benefit of putting your head in the sand and say it's the same everywhere, everywhere has problems, just leave then etc. Better to know what you are dealing with than to just put up with it and not complain.

Do what you want, but don’t call yourself an ‘expat’…

You should go. You don’t appreciate what you have here, but you’ll soon appreciate it when you are gone.
Good luck!

I came to live here 15 years ago. UK is still good country to live. The golden age of pre-2008 is not coming back. Please think about your healthcare expenses in your old age wherever you're planning to settle down - they could ruin you. I see many pensioners coming back in their late 70s-80s because they cannot cope abroad anymore.

We moved to Italy, to the countryside down south. It's not been easy. The day to day quality of life far outweighs the challenges though.

I've worked hard, very hard. I've saved up. I've tried not to use services and taken responsibility for myself. I'm not wealthy or from a wealthy background.

I feel politically homeless now. I don't want to live in a right-wing racist Reform-voter state or an equally bigoted middle-class socialist utopia.

I never thought I'd consider leaving the UK, but I wish I could afford to.

I'm not planning on leaving the UK but I do agree there is a very depressing feel to the place now.

Every where seems so crowded. Nobody seems to work (or not in my street at least). I'm retired now but paid really high taxes for some of my working life and I'm pissed off that it was used for pensioners at the time and now I am heading for state pension age it is getting pushed further and further back. I thought my money paid was getting putting into a pot for my retirement. I know, how stupid am I.

Food prices are def going up to the point where I feel supermarkets are taking the piss out of us all (perhaps that's not true but that's how I feel).

My vet (yes large chain no doubt owned by shareholders) has had a huge amount of money from me in the last few years.

I had to go private for dentist care so that costs each month now and I really worry if I get seriously ill there will be no ambulance to call and no help at the hospital either.

Nobody seems to take pride in working any more.

House prices have screwed the economy. My house cost 200K in 2019 and it's worth 250K now. So it's gone up almost 10k per year. Madness. It helps nobody. I want to sell up at some point and buy a similar priced house but now it costs more to move as my house is 'worth' more. Lots of estate agents etc charge you a percentage of your house price so woo hoo their fees are more expensive because my house is 'worth' more. Bollocks.

I miss the nineties when houses were easy to buy (and cheap oh so cheap). You could get a doctors appointment easy and ambulances came in mins. People seemed to take more pride in everything.

I don't think this is the worst country to live in and I'm not leaving but yes there is def a depressing cloud to living here that here that I never used to feel.

And what's with kids just kicking balls into your garden and running across it to get it. We used to have to knock and ask for our ball back and be really careful not to do it again. I know it sounds trivial and I'm not saying kids shouldn't have fun or play out but just a general lack of manners and respect or something seems norm now.

Switzerland is lovely imo. Immigration requirements for citizens of non EU/EFTA countries are very strict, however. And you'd need to speek French or German to settle successfull (or Italian, if you're in that part of the country).

I absolutely agree with PPs about social media!!

Most places are the same now. It's not a UK thing.