Would you leave the UK now if you could?

[JamSandle]

I've been thinking this...with how things are going in the UK, would you leave if you could, or encourage your kids to?

I know nowhere is perfect but just curious of peoples thoughts.

It is interesting that all of us that have had overseas lives are not so keen. The reality is very very different from a holiday in peak summer.

No , I'm staying. Love where I live but hate the fact the council are forcing million pound apartments on every piece of land, its not affordable to locals, it feels like social cleansing to me
I'd worry I couldn't get home quickly if their was an emergency too
things have got to get better

I'm kind of idealising Australia. I've visited for long periods but not lived. Id love to hear a more accurate picture of life there.

We would have moved abroad but actually believed that UK would negotiate free movement and rights of residence post- Brexit. Instead, we still have Imperial delusions of grandeur.
Hate what UK has become.
On holiday in Spain earlier this year, I walked past a French couple who exclaimed when they saw me (just arrived so milk bottle blue/white)
"Il est Anglais!"
I turned to them and said,
"Non, Ecosse."
Their attitude changed immediately and we had a long exchange about how our country has gone into decline and how Europeans are amazed at how we've developed and the lies the government sold us.

Nope- I’ve lived and travelled all over the world, I couldn’t live long term anywhere else, I’ve lived in countries where:

disease/malnutrition was rampant
racism was normal
homophobia was normal
guns were everywhere
animal cruelty was normal
corruption was normal
Kids die from routine illness
health care gets you into debt
Blackouts happened daily

My day to day life in the UK is fab, my kids are at a great school, I have a lovely job, we have a lovely dentist, NHS has been great whenever we’ve needed it, I have free speech, it’s not violent. My kids go to great clubs run my volunteers (I help too!), like scouts and rugby- we’ve made some nice friends there.
Very happy here!

Please just leave, your kind of spiralling negativity isn't helpful to the people around you and I really hope you don't have children. It is far more complex than you make out! I have many French and Spanish friends and they are not exactly thrilled with the way things are going inside the EU either. No staff in France, mass unrest in places.

The world globally is wobbly. It will settle. Your kind of disillusionment would have me reaching for the anti depressants. Move and be happy!

Yes. 100% unfortunately won't be an option for us though. 💔

We loved the people in Australia, fantastic, funny and down to earth. It was baking baking hot unbearably so in the summer. The beaches are great. The lack of history, arts and culture really felt depressing to me, as someone that enjoys a rich life here.
The houses are generic and terrible to look at, like cardboard boxes and street after street it was the same everywhere. We came across very public, entrenched views in terms of sexism, racism and homophobia. It was like the UK thirty years ago plus in the outback.
It was quite dull and boring in places. I felt a strong urge to move elsewhere after a few weeks. Outdoor life is great, it is comfortably wealthy but it lacked quite a lot that is important to me so we left for NZ which quite frankly once you get over the beauty and the copious vineyards was even worse!

Can you expand on what you liked and disliked about NZ?

Get over yersel, FFS. I have lived abroad and here and I know which I prefer. The "spiral of negativity" you speak about is a direct result of this Governments policy decisions.
Yes, I do have children, both of whom wish to live abroad but are forbidden from doing so.

Yes - would love to.

Kissingfrogs25*

I have a house in Spain and if it was feasible to move there now, I would.

As soon as the DC have all moved out, we will be downsizing to a very small property in the UK and spending the majority of our time in Spain. It’s a much nicer way of life, better weather, and infinitely better healthcare. This country is a shitshow and I want no part of it.

No. We live

Where did you visit?

I’m Aus / British but Aus depends on where you end up living

Yes, I can we lived in Auckland for a while which reminded me of a medium sized town in the UK without the history. It was very boring. Nothing much to do in the evenings. The weather actually isn't great for much of the year.
We moved down to the South Island and there was just miles and miles of farms and sheep and very little else. It was very very empty and lacking for young people.
NZ has a very high suicide rate with their young people, and I can really see why. It felt kind of stifling to us. Once you have seen Milford Sound, and hiked and done the usual touristy things like the glacier we were then kind of at a loss day to day. I imagine if you are massively into hiking you wouldn't get so bored. It is quite small, it is quite introverted and although the people are beautiful and kind, we felt it was indeed somewhat limited.

The quality of life is good though, but more expensive than people imagine - and for someone over the age of fifty looking for a quieter life it is probably bliss but for us it was just too quiet.

No. We live in a beautiful area, have lovely friends and neighbours. My children go to a good school and are happy. We do lots of activities locally, sports, Scouting, choir etc. There is so much to do. My teen found a part time job very easily and will soon be looking at universities. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Can people really be forbidden from living abroad? Or is that a custody issue?

I live in the UK and it's not shitty where I live. It's lovely and friendly. Safe. Lots of places to walk the dog. Good transport network. Can go on lovely days out by car or by coach. Loads of eateries, lots of markets, food festivals, flower shows etc.
So grateful that it is the same where I am. I also live(d) in Norway and much prefer the UK. I think a case of 'the other man's grass is always greener' applies to many of us. DC is currently based in the US and the longer they stay, the more they miss the UK.

Yes, I do have children, both of whom wish to live abroad but are forbidden from doing so.

In what sense are they “forbidden”? Do they have criminal records? If what you really mean is that there’s no longer freedom of movement to the EU then they still aren’t “forbidden.” It’s no longer as easy for them, if they are unskilled, to freely move to an EU country to take up an unskilled job. Was that actually your DCs’ ambition? How many British people were really ever moving to EU countries to pick fruit, clean hotel rooms or work in shops as a long term prospect? Considering unskilled and youth unemployment levels in countries like Spain, Greece and Italy, why would those countries want more unskilled people anyway? If your DC are qualified and skilled and speak second languages then they can still apply to relevant workplaces to use those skills and qualifications in relevant jobs, in both the EU and elsewhere. Little has really changed.

CuteCillian · Today 17:41
Can people really be forbidden from living abroad? Or is that a custody issue?

Part of Brexit means you cannot reside in any Euro area for more than 90 days out of any 180 day period. Hence the delays to get your passport stamped.

Yes. DH has an Irish passport and us retraining into something that is internationally accredited, so it might be something that we can make work.
We don't have kids, but have parents in their 70s. My sister has already moved to Europe so my mum would be without support, but I'm not missing my chance if I get one.

They cannot gain a visa unless they can purchase a property worth over 500K, which they can't. Both are educated to degree level and have tried to gain residence based on their professions (NHS and oilfield planning,) but have been advised that they will be unsuccessful.
Less than 10% of third country applications are being accepted.

Yes, without question. I was an expat until very recently and deeply regret my move back to the UK (which I did for family health reasons). I will be gone the minute I'm able to do so.

I truly believe that Brexit spelled the end for the UK as an attractive, prosperous place to live and work.

Yes yes and thrice yes!

I'd have gone to a better climate years ago but dh dug his heels in, heaven knows why. That was under Turncoat Blair and dh's doubly unhappy with Tories so heaven knows why. We could be living in a hot climate surrounded by wondrousness 😉

That’s odd. I have about a dozen former colleagues and friends who have moved from the UK to various European countries in the past including Germany, France, Sweden and Poland for a range of skilled or professional jobs and none have needed to buy £500k houses to do so.