So what in the UK DOES work really well? I can't think of much!

[QueenofTheBorg]

HMRC are turning their phones off in a minute
The roads are a state almost everywhere
The NHS is underfunded and broken
Schools are crumbling, there aren't enough teachers, unsurprisingly
Railways and a lot of public transport doesn't work well
Councils are able to go bankrupt, I'm not sure how or why
Shoplifting is rarely prosecuted
Rape is pretty much a non crime, the prosecution rate is so low
The police are misogynistic and don't respond to many crimes (shoplifting for eg)
Food prices are ridiculous, as are petrol prices
The cost of living crisis has affected millions
Interest rates mean lots of people can't afford their houses
There are strikes left right and centre
Prisons are nearly full
Courts are backlogged by cases anyway
There's not enough support for anyone with mental health issues

Nothing seems to work does it?

Or are there some things that work amazingly well in the UK? If so, what?

Is this years of Tory underinvestment in infrastructure? Some of this I think is due to the Ukraine war but not all of it. What do you think?

NHS have been fantastic treating my DH and saved his life. He's on 7 tablets a day which is all covered by the £11 a month pre-payment cert. Also included is his heart spray when required. Also included is free specialist toothpaste from his dentist.

NHS haven't let me down either and I've been treated with physio and had some excellent bowel treatment.

Where I live public transport is fantastic and modern. Buses every 10 mins, trams every 15 mins, trains in our town run to each nearby city and we have regular buses to our nearest airport.

We like our walks and there's so many beauty spots nearby or a car ride away to view the birds, bees and butterflies. So many people do not realise what they have nearby.

Two of the local towns next to us have the most beautiful flower displays come summer.

One thing I am not enamoured by is our local hospital parking charges. Wish they would drop them.

Yes there is still a lot to love about the NHS. Had a fab experience recently whem 18 year old DS had to go to the new A&E near us late at night. Apart from the obligatory smackhead the wait wasn't too bad. The young male doctors he saw (for acute urinary retention, something he had a traumatic experience with before at the children's hospital) were beyond amazing. They kept him in and the ward staff were fab too. Whether it's because he was probably one of their youngest patients so he got extra sympathy and attention or what I don't know. But it was great. And the old hospital had a really bad rep.

I had a good GP experience recently too. Once i'd got past the shitty appointment system and waited too long for the appointment, the appointment itself was great. Very thorough. And I had a follow up phone appointment a couple of weeks later with a different GP who was great too.

Eldest DS is looking to move abroad for work when he graduates. He thinks the UK is going downhill. And when you're in a pessimistic or nostalgic mood that's how it appears. But there is still lots to love. There are far worse places in the world. And within the UK itself I'm sure there are pockets of perfection where most things work perfectly well.

Let's not forget sport:
football
rugby
darts
snooker
and my personal favourite: cricket 😍

@QueenofTheBorg
Just read through all this thread and surprise, surprise it was 85% positive 😂and I agree that the UK is a great place to live. If you have lived overseas, you will realise this.

And before anyone whines - I am not saying the UK is the no 1 special place in the world, disclaimer: other countries can be nice too - but the UK is no. 1 in my heart.

The High Street banking system is brilliant. Inter bank transfers, banking on your phone etc. And if you don't believe me, try living in the USA and use theirs. It's like going back to the stone age. A transfer between accounts at different banks is all but impossible.

We pick up dog poo well. I always think that as I hop and skip my way down European pavements. It’s the only thing though. Every time I come to Europe I become depressed at how we are falling behind (I know that’s not entirely true before I get shouted at).

The UK is unusually good at integrating immigrants and has handled multiculturalism better than most other countries.