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?!

Most of us in London are struggling. We live in the most expensive city in the UK and the average salary in London is 41k , average property half a million. I’ve seen droves of people leaving for cheaper places to live , people who work in the NHS and teaching . So only a minority of Londoners could say the same as her.

But as others have said if you’re rich you still need the NHS A& E , no such thing as Private A & E

Oh come on. She’s not ‘amusing herself’, she’s answering the question with her own experiences which is surely the point of the thread.

For some yes, for others no.

Yep, it's a horrible feeling of being unsafe. I'm only in my 40s and am super careful walking on icy streets as I don't want to end up in a hospital with a bone break right now. I'm scared of what would happen if my older DP had a heart attack or a stroke. Prices are spiking, wages are plummeting and there are tonnes of strikes because everyone is angry and feeling taken for granted. It doesn't feel like anyone sensible is at the wheel of the country or has a decent plan to get out of this. The level of anti immigrant hate-mongering amongst politicians is genuinely alarming. Apart from one very well off pal, everyone I know is stressed, cold, and pissed off. The 'fun' extras are long gone. I can see my breath in parts of my house. I can't get the train to see my elderly mother. I can't get a doctor's appointment for love or money. Our household salary has dropped by 30% in the last 5 years. This is not ok and we aren't in the most vulnerable category by a long shot.

The English migrant who went to live somewhere nice and not complaining the UK has too many immigrants, the fucking irony🙄

@KittyBurrito is right. It feels scary, I’m terrified of any of my family getting ill because the NHS is so broken. People are dying because they can’t access healthcare.
And the division and resentments being whipped up by the Government are toxic. And the Economy has been destroyed by incompetence.

Dh and I will likely retire in 5 years, we are considering moving to Ireland at that point. Brexit has scuppered us moving to any other EU Country.

The English migrant who went to live somewhere nice and not complaining the UK has too many immigrants, the fucking irony🙄

My skills were needed in the country that I moved to. I wasn't going to there to go fucking fruit picking. That is the difference.

I agree with you, but on mumsnet you’re only allowed to be negative and talk about all the ‘doom and gloom’.

@chapflapp it's okay, I don't know if you're like me, and don't watch the news (I find it too depressing these days) so mat have missed this horrific story.

The NHS really is in dire straits. I saw it with my own eyes recently when my DC had a standard procedure, the children's ward was over run and there were no beds for sick children in the waiting room. I signed my DC out early as I could tell they needed the bed.

@MissyB1 That's funny, I've been wondering about Ireland too!

Just spoke to a rich friend on the phone talking about her planned holiday to Macchu Pichu. Some people are still fine. But if your ordinary holidays are not to places like this, then you will be feeling it.

Banal, untrue, reductive.

Is it?

We need fruit pickers! What’s the difference between you and the thousands who come here with skills we need. I tell you if you like, fuck all:

Next time your in A&E you’ll see fucking loads of immigrants with skills we need .

We have work visas here too for a range of skills

Good old English exceptionalism!!

So you basically mean you're a good migrant, but a fruit picker is a bad migrant?

Right then 🙄

No it's not that bad, it's worse. I want out. I'm not proud of my country any more. I despise what it has become with every fibre of my being.

This

Let me make this very clear. In my first post, I was actually referencing illegal immigrants who come here and have no right to be here.

But if you want to really get into it, of course we need people who are professionals who come here and work. I am all for nurses, doctors, dentists, teachers etc etc coming over and using their skills. No problem with that.

But what I take issue is with people who come here doing jobs for very low pay, which gives our pathetic government the excuse for not paying British workers a decent enough wage for doing those types of jobs, i.e - fruit picking. Yet, those people who come here, sometimes with very large families, end up taking places in schools for their children, put more strain on the NHS, housing etc etc.

When British people are on the streets and you have Albanians living in 5 star hotels, or when you can't get to see a GP then yes, I am going to take issue with it.

This. What a shocking and entitled outlook on life.

I’m not finding life in the UK grim. I’m early 50’s and most of my friends are late 40’s and early 50’s are we’re all doing just fine.

But the problem is noone wants to do hard and boring labour even if you do get ok paid. Like fruit picking. They just don’t. It’s an easier life to get benefits in some cases.

You need to look more deeper at the issue, which clearly you are not.

I don't perceive gloom, doom or lots of sheer pettiness. It isn't happening in my bubble.
I don't mind immigration in principle.
I do worry that crime rates are going up (but crime rates were very low for a long time, thank goodness)
Things cost more but shops are heaving, a lot of people obviously have money to buy things & travel places
I got a GP appt when I last needed it (July)
DS goes to a good school
DS & DH went to dentist 10 days ago (DS on NHS)
Weather... oh well, it's Britain! Beautiful frosty last 3 days, actually
We are in good health
We don't know anyone struggling with housing
We do know people with MH issues, deffo

I feel like the very big problems are all slow burner problems that will take years to manifest BREXIT and Covid controls & affect less educated people much more (harder on them) than people with good careers & incomes. This didn't have to happen but people knew what they were voting for / shouting for.

@dollytot Does the Daily Mail pay you well or are you doing this for free?

Well, again, this is an issue that the government needs to address, but it won't do because it's corrupt as F. And let's face it, whatever the government decides, it's never going to affect them. If they actually paid British workers a decent amount to do those types of jobs, then I believe you'd get a lot British workers doing them.