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?

Peace? 1000s jailed following mass rioting in the summer....

“In 2024, there are now 22 million people aged over 50 in England, equivalent to two in five of the total population and this is rapidly increasing: the population of people aged 50+ in England is projected to increase by 19.3% between 2024 and 2044 (an increase of 4.3 million people). The population aged 85+ is growing the fastest.”

Currently we do not have an NHS or social care system that can cater for the changing demographics. Not enough carers, nurses, GPs, etc What do people think things are going to look like in the future?

Our number one challenge is unemployment, especially severe among young people.
Followed by the extortionate house pricing relative to salaries.
Corruption of the political system.
And I could go on.

If it were a genuine issue then the government, who have always had complete control over it, would have implemented measures to manage and control it.

The fact that the didn't do this, while constantly telling you how much of an issue it was, should have made you realise that it's not an issue but a very useful tool for creating division and distraction.

No not euthanasia (bit extreme ;) we don’t need it the birth rate is declining already

Some immigration, it’s good for people to move. But I wouldn’t say it has to provide a wider base, otherwise I can’t see how we get out of the problem of populations increasing by decade.

It just pushes the issue down the road when it’ll be harder to deal with

I don’t think we’ll do well just generally if people think we can keep increasing, resources will be scarcer and volatility higher.

@EasternStandard so what level of immigration do you think is acceptable?

I don’t think we’ll do well just generally if people think we can keep increasing, resources will be scarcer and volatility higher.

this will happen regardless.

I have genuinely never seen someone say we need to reverse the ageing population & it’s not remotely possible, much of the West is ageing. Acknowledging the crash in birth rate or recognising that immigration is inevitable and needed isn’t the same as saying we need to keep increasing the population. And if you really want to reduce the population you need to agree with euthanasia…

We're a tiny island that is way too overcrowded. That's why there aren't enough houses and why hospitals, medical care and schools are overwhelmed. There are of course a myriad of other factors, poor decisions etc but this is the key issue imo. I live on a large council estate and I see first hand the effects of it.

Which schools are overwhelmed?

https://www.cypnow.co.uk/content/news/falling-school-rolls-spark-fears-of-1bn-funding-drop/

No I don’t

It will happen as the birth rate declines anyway

There isn't enough housing or medical provisions because the government didn't just fail to ensure infrastructure kept pace with demand but actively reduced its availablity.

I also believe school numbers are falling but I'd say the recruitment and retention crisis has a bigger impact on education than pupil numbers.

Nope, i live in the SW hardly any migration here, one county hospital, completely overwhelmed, mainly by older people and it has been for at least 20/25 years.... response from Govt is to close down smaller hospitals, remove nurse and allied health professional free tuition.....

At the same time, fail to update the Dentists contract for 18 years.... hence no nhs dentists.

We voted for this state of affairs, favouring small tax cuts instead of adequate health services and roads.

Well put.

Even silly little things like when I’m walking with the pram, the older generations tend to let me by. My own generation and younger barge into you almost like it’s a competition on who dominates the path.

Society Politeness has died a death.

Because people are only focused on what they haven't got and love to moan.

In my area, there is uproar because 20 social housing houses on a new estate have gone to new arrivals who up until recently, were in our local hotel.

Just one example of why some people are getting angry.

Not all migrants are the same I grant you, but my example when we’re going through a housing and cost of living crisis is why some don’t want the borders to remain flung open without checking the benefit of those seeking residency.

I don't know about the immigration rules working in the way we expect them to. 4 big prestigious employers with new offices in our city recruit newly qualified ex student visa workers from non eu. I think each company has a £0000 intro scheme paid to existing employees for recommended candidates who end getting a job so there's quite a lot of unchecked nepotism. Then after a few years sponsorship from said companies the people can stay here with families. It's not shiney jobs for uk kids.

I also live in the SW (Bristol to be precise) and the effects of overcrowding are clearly visible. I absolutely agree with you on the obsession with tax cuts and I did say other factors and bad decisions have also led us to a shit show.

Two decades of money being funnelled into a small number of individuals' pockets instead of for society as a whole.

The countries that are happiest have the most investment in services. They are also far, far ahead of us socially, environmentally, and technologically. Even on little things we could easily do and afford to do and don't.

There was freedom of movement within the EU so it certainly was 'uncontrolled' for a very long time.

That ended in 2020, and the discontent stemmed from Blair, who allowed the ten new EU states immediate access to our labour market. Business loved it as it meant unlimited cheap labour. Now the government just lets in immigrants from countries outside the EU.

Asylum seekers are generally ineligible for social housing. Once they're processed and obtain refugee status they may be eligible to apply for it but, they'd still need to meet other criteria, such as local council requirements, and go through the same process as other applicants for social housing.

If they've have been given 20 social houses then they're very unlikely to have been new arrivals, given how slow the processing is, and have had some very extreme circumstances to push them to the top of the list.

I wish I could send you a link to more info but it would be outing for where I reside.

Our local refugee action group is helping the ones in the hotels move into the new houses.

I personally have no skin in the game, I just can understand the resentment for those waiting on lists.

I also believe school numbers are falling but I'd say the recruitment and retention crisis has a bigger impact on education than pupil numbers.

The way funding works pupil numbers really do have an impact.

And were you personally impacted by that? As you said, they are in jail, which suggests we have a robust justice system.

Are you having to flee your home or living in fear for your life or your family's life?

You need to visit somewhere out of your little wealthy bubble. Watch the guardian journalist John Harris’ YouTube series about left behind places in Britain. It’s eye opening. And when he goes up north it’s not to Harrogate or York btw 😂