Why does life seem to shit in the UK

[RosieLeaLovesTea]

Endless threads about schools going down the pan and poor behaviour in schools making teachers want to leave.
NHS waiting lists and quality of care medical is poor.
housing market market in crisis and affordability of housing

I read the threads and it feels like life in the UK is really shit. Plus crap weathe for 8 months of the year.

how did we get here snd what is the solution?

The Baby Boomer generation are currently aged about 60-78, and they are such a large cohort that funding their retirement is a challenge. (The Boomers’ NI contributions weren’t saved to pay for their own state pensions, but were spent on the pensions being paid out at the time).

The next generation of retirees is smaller, so in theory it should be easier for the current working-age population to support them. However, as the birth rate continues to fall, the population is in danger of becoming an inverted pyramid, which would make it very hard to balance the books.

@Cremacreme

Yes I didn’t think you were young.

😆

Also another thing us british moan we love it we love to pull others down to. I believe it comes from our class system I think this serf dom that we have means we don't like folks doing good i know when I see a Ferrari type car go bar I think ooh small dick wanker can't help it lol. Yet in America that's the dream. We moan about weather because yes it's shit but then again could be worse look at florida hurricanes etc. It's in our society I swear

Always increasing?

How is that your takeaway from what I said?! Our population is shrinking and ageing. Immigration is the only driver. We can’t reverse the fact it’s ageing so that’s a pointless discussion but we do need a softer fall.

What is it you are after?

We are already feeling the financial implication of the changing demographics things are only get to get harder & more expensive.

How old are you @Cremacreme

Christian values (when referring to the UK) aren’t about worshipping God (I say this as a non-Christian). Christian values are prioritising things like service, charity, humility, community, over 21st-century values like self-care, celebrity and branding, wealth building, and “identity”.

You can probably create arguments for why the latter are fine or even good, but I know which kind of society is probably better for the greater number of people.

@Vergus I wasn’t trying to offend, I’m only a few yrs younger. But I think someone in their 40s will have had a very different experience vs younger people eg I’m already on the housing ladder, my tuition fees were much cheaper vs now, I don’t need childcare anymore etc.

I worry for my dc & on a wider societal level the increasing inequality isn’t good.

I’m also a 2nd gen immigrant with one parent still in their home country (Europe). There is problems there but I think other things are much better, thankfully my dc have European passports so at least they have some other options.

You sound like you want to avoid this?

we are heading for an upside down pyramid

That means a wider base or steady. Is that right?

If l remember correctly, the previous governments’ approaches to the pension funding issue were as follows:

New Labour - increase immigration. We’ll mostly get adults of working age who are keen to work and more tolerant of low wages and poor conditions than the average Brit.

Tories - keep increasing the state pension age. It won’t affect the rich much, as they tend to have private pensions, but the poor will just have to work for longer.

There’s nothing that can be done to stop the reverse pyramid. I have already said we have more over 65s than under 15 yr olds. People don’t seem to be aware of how much the demographics have shifted though & the impact of that eg I mentioned school rolls. The funding model for schools is based on head counts which has huge ramifications when you have unfulfilled places. Various governments have ignored the issue & kicked the can down the road partly because for whatever reason the voter base don’t want to acknowledge it. We need to acknowledge it and plan.

Again what it is you are after?

So you accept we’ll have the upside pyramid then? Rather than it being something you want to avoid via immigration?

I’ll answer but I wanted to clarify what your position was as I thought you wanted to avoid it inverting, but now I take it you see it as what will happen, is that correct?

People having being saying this for a long time.

In 1885, WS Gilbert wrote, in the MIkado, " Then the idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone, all centuries but this and every country but his own".

I haven't read the whole thread but I was surprised (and also kind of not) to see this study/article from last year:

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/child-poverty-levels-uk-worst-among-worlds-richest-nations-unicef-report-finds-2023-12-06/

Those values don't have to be associated with christianity.

The lack of investment is a big part of it.

The UK’s productivity gap: what did it look like twenty years ago?

Here's a bit from the introduction of that article:

At different periods in history, the UK’s productivity gap has been attributed to one of – or some combination of – a wide range of possible causes that create disadvantage compared with other countries, notably France, Germany and the United States.

These include a relative failure to invest, failure to innovate, poor labour relations, trade distortions attributable to Empire, antagonism towards manufacturing, ‘short-termism’ among business leaders and financial institutions, technological backwardness, lack of entrepreneurship, over-regulation of business, an overly-instrumental attitude to work among employees, and the rigidities of the class structure. The list is not exhaustive.

I hate this race to the bottom thinking: of course I wouldn't want to live in China, Africa or India!

But adequate healthcare and education would be a good start?

@EasternStandard

I don’t understand what you are not understanding?

Even with immigration we can’t avoid the upside down pyramid!!!

It’s already happening, we currently have a beehive shape.

Ok I wondered if you want to avoid this

we are heading for an upside down pyramid

You’ve answered we can’t avoid it.

My preference is not to continually increase as it’s not sustainable, not just here but worldwide. We’ll see increasing volatility over decreasing resources if so. We already are seeing this.

I’d look to tech, that will take the need away for many jobs anyway. We need to work out how to retain taxes from it though

That was NOT new Labours policy are all..... as well you should know.

People came here because of the SM/FOM, regardless of any temp delay, they chose higher income countries such as the UK, a de regulated labour market helped and our income support policies..... but they came here to work in factories, health service, construction and agri, the jobs are there to be filled.... once they had saved enough or had enough, many went back home.

Those jobs still need doing, so we get Africans and Asians to do them but they bring their families & they will never go home..... thats the longer term problem.

Labour implemented Tory pension age increases and never reversed any & pension age increase is going on throughout Europe.

BTW the doomsayers with their "Billions will come to Europe...." Med migration is falling off a cliff.... partly because of EU funding to poverty stricken countries, tackling criminal gangs and sending back asylum seekers.

So your answer is there is no need to worry about the financial, cultural, social ramifications of an ageing population because somehow tech will make it ok?

I do think there are a lot of problems in the UK but most countries have problems - some more than others. I'm very grateful for our democratic process, low unemployment, relative safety and the peace we enjoy - these are huge things that it's very easy to take for granted.

Having said that - I do think that day to day life can be a struggle, low wages, high prices (or at least higher prices that we've been used to) and while we have some beautiful places to visit, they are always so bloody crowded it often ruins the enjoyment of them. And the weather is also shit - and I wish we had guaranteed sunshine and warmth to look forward to in the spring /summers.

I've lived in the US, and the standard of living for people is generally a lot higher., especially if you're married and both of you work. There's also a ton of wonderful outdoor spaces to explore and education may not always be the best from an academic viewpoint, but it is varied, less bound to teaching traditional subjects and schools are less rules-focused and dare I say it, fun! And in winter you get snow / snowsports and in summer it's guaranteed to be warm and dry (in most places!).

My preference is not to continually increase as it’s not sustainable

@EasternStandard can you clarify the above? What do you think is continually increasing? Are you advocating for euthanasia? No more immigration?