Why are we on a steady downward decline

[Neverknowno]

What is the root cause of the UK’s downward slide? What is behind the low productivity?

Is it because we do not tax high earners enough to fund public services? Or are our taxes too high?

Is it because of the increasing number of the workforce going permanently off ill?

Brexit
A certain type of politician who is robbing taxpayers to make themselves and their friends even richer
People are trapped in low paid jobs, working long hours, to fund poor quality housing, haven't the time or money to cook healthy food and exercise, so end up unwell.

I'd say it's mismanagement of the country, but that suggests incompetence and it isn't incompetence. The country is being DELIBERATELY managed in a way that provides the most financial returns to Tories and Tory donors

A big driver is that in successive elections, the proposition to increase taxes in order to increase investment has been unpopular. Everyone seems to want higher personal finances rather than better community infrastructure - and I don’t mean now that the CoL crisis is biting, but for decades, eg the 1980’s -90’s privatisations are coming home to roost. High public service wages and relatively low taxes for high earners in the 2000’s came at the expense of long-term investment.

This isn’t a labour = good, tory = bad, or vice versa thing

The country now seems so polarised that, unfortunately, centre ground politics, which would likely be most successful both economically and socially, just doesn’t cut it politically. The so-called yaaboo politics we all say we hate in Westminster seems to have spread

This is a democracy, so we all have a role, no good just blaming other people

@PinkRobotDuck I agree entirely. Our media is, in my view, a key driver of unhappiness. So much negativity and right-wing spin. It is driving huge divisions in society and I don’t understand why. If I were a conspiracy theorist, I’d say our media is working on behalf of some shady group (maybe loyal to another country) to destroy the UK.

Starmer is moving ever right and ditching proper policy in favour of being voted in, which given tories, is sadly a shoe in. We need a coalition of the best from all the parties and PR immediately.

Never going to happen. Look at the fiasco of the libdem coalition - lots of horse trading to get a few policies through from both sides, including some policies that opposed each other, so made no sense in the bigger scheme of things. Don't forget Hitler gained power due to proportional representation leading to continuous coalitions. Be careful what you wish for!

You think proportional representation is more likely to create a Hitler than a first part the post system? Really?

@Kazzyhoward it is going to be difficult but the country needs a broad coalition of the best politicians. The current joke that is parliament is damaging us all, including those who voted them in (unless their are their mates that get juicy deals and free cash to start businesses - see the freeport fiasco that will cost us dearly being touted us levelling up the north....) FPTP will keep those idiots in power for longer because the voting public have shorter memories than goldfish (see also people that think johnson should be reanimated in the role of pm)