Are things in the UK as bad as it sounds in the news?

[Lolobella]

I left the UK in 2017 and now live in Europe. I obviously still follow the UK news closely and visit, although I have no family left there.

In the last few months the UK news have become increasingly grim and concerning. I can't tell if it is just the news painting the country in a worse light than necessary, or if things are genuinely as bad as the news make it sound.

Obviously this is a tough historical moment for many countries, but the doom and gloom in UK news is just on another level and makes if sound like the country is in free fall. Poverty, strikes, crazy energy prices, failing NHS and public services.. Is it really so bad?!

Yes it's really that bad.

Energy prices have rocketed. Poverty at an all time high. Food prices have increased astronomically. The NHS is in deed on its knees (and I have first hand experience, recent surgery cancelled due to no beds).

It's all true OP.

Yes, it is that bad. The UK is a basket case, the result of 12 years of Tory arrogance, incompetence and corruption.

Worse.

Yep! It’s all one big mess everywhere you look.

Yes. Believe what you read, it's one big depressing shit show

Yes it's a nightmare. The tories have been running the country into the ground for over a decade. A 12 year old girl was run over outside my house not long ago and was lying in the road and there were no ambulances available for her at all. There's a severe teacher shortage due to the tories treating teachers like shit/the enemy.

12 years of Tory misrule, compounded by Brexit. NHS chronically underfunded but the government and media are trying to spin it as inefficient NHS and looking to privatise it. Fuel prices unfeasibly high, food poverty increasing by the day, industrial unrest. It's a disaster.

Yes, yes it is.

Given that it's 5th world economy, yes. Distribution of good is very uneven. Rich are getting richer, poor are getting poorer.

I expect Clavinova will pop up with her cut and pastes soon to defend brexit and the tories

Depends who you are and where you live, I imagine, as to how bad you might be feeling the general situation is in the country, but yeah it’s pretty bad. I can’t imagine there’s many people who won’t have been affected by at least a small part of the issues - even if it’s only a planned train journey they couldn’t take for example. But there’ll be plenty of people with enough money to not have to bother about it all. It’s all quite depressing really.
One question though, if you’re in Europe aren’t your fuel costs also very high? I was in The Netherlands recently and a friend there was saying it was a big concern for them.

Have energy costs in Europe not gone up OP?

Yes. Considering moving out as well. Where have you moved to? (And you know the UK is in Europe?!).

This is key really, and sort of what I was getting at my post. This is partly why it’s so bad, there are enough people doing very well out of this whole shit show to ensure that it continues.

The latest tory "enemy of the people" is anyone who goes into post 18 education. The tories have already given them the highest tuition fees in the world (England) and making them pay back loans for 40 years. Soon it'll be only people with wealthy parents who will be able to go. Can't have these working class kids getting ideas above their station!

But there’ll be plenty of people with enough money to not have to bother about it all. It’s all quite depressing really.
I'm managing ok financially (don't get me wrong, I'm not rolling in cash but I can pay the bills and cope with the rising prices) but just find there's so much talk about the cost of living crisis, fuel prices, NHS waiting times, strike action etc, it's everywhere on the news, radio adverts, there's no escaping it and feels like a depression is almost being forced upon us. It's basically replaced Covid as the thing to make everyone depressed.

I was wondering the same thing OP. I rarely watch the UK news but caught it the other day and was quite shocked. Family have also started to say things like "I bet you are glad you aren't here" where as in the past they have been very quick to defend the UK..

Our energy costs have gone up very little. Food costs are rising but there are no shortages (other than mustard). Pay rises are being given (I got 10% DH is a teacher and got 3.6%).

There are some strikes but there are always strikes in France so nothing unusual.

Oh and I didn't mention increased interest rates putting home owners mortgages up by £100s a month, or increasing rents by £100s a month.

It's awful 😞

Same as a PP regarding ambulances. A couple of months ago, my disabled, 87 year old father fell at home and broke his back and the ambulance took 24 hours to arrive.

Yes unless you are very wealthy and buffered from it all.

Our local GP surgery keeps putting stuff on FB about how short staffed they are and how We must only contact them in emergencies. The local pharmacy is half staffed and never seems to either have your prescription or the medication you need. I have to keep waiting for them to get X part of the order in.
Cost of food and utilities through the roof.
Government keeps saying " The NHS is not in crisis" (in various ways) when people can't get an ambulance for a stroke and are sitting in an ambulance outside for 14 plus hours, gaslighting the nation.
They are pumping raw sewage into the waterways and sea after a drop of rain due to a new clause that was allowed to discharge after storms but they do it after any rain.
Of course in normal family life good things happen and we are going about our business and doing nice Christmas things where we can afford it.
The bigger picture is a shit show.

Actually where I live (Switzerland) energy prices have gone up, but not as drastically as in the UK. I estimate they more or less doubled. However, they were very affordable previously compared to average household income, so it is not that difficult for most households to accommodate the increase.

Probably depends who are where you and how many resources you have but everyone I know has noticed the rising food prices and the high energy costs - even if they can currently meet them.

My family were badly hit by earlier high petrol prices - we who don't drive have been badly hit by bus and train strikes and train fares seem much high post covid possible as cheap tickets are harder to find.

We are thinking hard about heating and electricity usage when we used to be frugal but unconcerned but we can pay currently. However last night i was listening to some analysts and they think next winter will be worse as this year Europe still riled on some Russian gas.

Family who have much more contact with NHS say services are slowly collapsing and it's even more variable care standards.

We've cut back in many areas and we go out less and still seem to have less and less money.

I think food prices are still higher in Switzerland compared to here.

Yes it is. From a personal point of view (moan warning)...my business is losing money because I'm struggling to deliver orders to customers on time (mail strikes). My house is between 9 and 12 degrees, the heating comes on for 3 hours a day, I put a hat on before I get out of bed in the morning. Food is at least 50% more expensive than it was last year. If I need an ambulance I doubt I'd get one in anything other than a life and death situation. The same with any medical care. I have no dentist and 2 broken teeth, the last dentist I saw just pre pandemic said these needed removing by a dental surgeon and referred me, but I can't get an appointment. I have amoxicillin I ordered from India and take a course of this when they get infected. I will have to scrap my work van in August because it's not ULEZ compliant, no way can I afford a complaint one (2015 or newer) so will have to buy a petrol car which will mean I can't work as effectively.
I have a roof over my head, food in the cupboards and a small amount in the bank for emergencies. I'm in a much better situation than many people.

I work from home most days. On work zoom calls there is always someone saying how cold they are. I have been in work zoom meetings where someone is sitting at home with their coat on. It is truly shit and we keep being told it will get worse.