AIBU to think that the UK is no longer an attractive place to live

[Elloduckie]

NC here for this one. DH to be and I are getting married next year and we were looking to set up and be based here. But with everything going on, the UK does not seem that attractive to live.

Currently London based, we want/need to be somewhere that is diverse, have no patience bigotry etc. Though living in London doesn't make you immune from that!!

But to raise kids and work, it just doesn't seem like the UK is the place to be anymore. Does anyone else feel like this?
Thing is, we would we move to? Both are very mobile career wise and speak a few languages so that will not be an issue. Money wise should be fine too. Its literally a question of where else is good, diverse to raise kids and not colder than the UK (ruling out the Scandinavian countries).

Suggestions please..

I hate London

If I could live anywhere in uk I’d choose York Liverpool. Norwich as my top 3 city’s Stuff to do but sooooo much cleaner and safer.

NL is routinely slated in my expat circuits. As is Switzerland.
Much of southern Europe is struggling with unemployment.
If you think UK outside London is very white, have you looked at the stats for the countries you are interested in??
I'm currently fantising about moving back to the UK. Just need one if us to get a job there, which might be a stumbling block.....

I moved to Sweden 4 years ago from London. I am desperate to get back to London but am now out priced. Sweden is vastly over rated. Think carefully.

@BowBeau - Wow! That's a new angle on Brexiteer bashing I've not heard before. So anyone who voted to leave wanted to make the place they live...a terrible place to live? Whether people voted remain or leave they will have done so as they believed it was the best option for this country (what actually turns out to be the best option is irrelevant to the motivation).

Anyway, back to the topic. I love the UK and wouldn't live anywhere else.

Wherever you move, don't sell your London home until you have lived there at least a few years. The grass can look very green, but when you have lived in London, other places can feel...limited. If you are only getting married now, you may not be ready for that yet.

I just don't want them (DC) to deal with heaviness of being the only black family in the village which is why I didn't consider anywhere else outside of Greater London area.

Although you say you aren't, this sort of rudiculous statement is like something out a London bubble playbook.

Move to Scotland. It is the best of the UK without the bad bits. It will be even better when it becomes independent.

Of course Scotland is perfect with no issues whatsoever.

Move to Scotland. It is the best of the UK without the bad bits. It will be even better when it becomes independent.

Of course Scotland is perfect with no issues whatsoever. hmm

Was going to say the same thing. It will go downhill rapidly if it goes independent.

Of course you don't want to be the only black family in the village. Lots of white people ignore or don't even see the racism where they live.

Although if you did want to be the only black family in the village, in your shoes I would look at somewhere like Skye or similar. A lot of Scottish islands are desperate for families to move there, and have a lot of people from London and England living there. Obviously you need to be careful about where you move to, but in really small places like the Orkneys they are often desperate for families to move there.

Agree about not selling your London home though for a couple of years if you move away. You have lived in other countries so do know about the pros and cons of living somewhere very different. But good to have a back up plan.

Glasgow is very diverse and has some beautiful parts. I spent a week there recently and was seriously attracted to moving there.

We are currently just outside Brussels, and have been for about 13 years. I get to come home for good this year, and cannot wait to get back to the UK, where I understand how things function; where shops are open at lunch times and Mondays and I can get Lemon Curd yoghurt at Waitrose!!

Having been to a couple of European capital cities over the years, I am always surprised to have to pay to get into museums and art galleries, as this is free in the UK.

I would point out that our rights in the UK predate our joining the EU. The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1970, before we joined iirc. We have more generous maternity leave than some European countries, and a less onerous personal taxation regime.

We don't have ID cards in the UK; I can go for a walk without having to carry and ID card and a €5 note to show that I am not indigent. When you move, you don't have the bank refusing to change your address until you've told the Gemeente; nor do you have an armed policewoman inspecting your knicker drawer to ensure that you live at your address.

The grass isn't always greener, and whilst I adore the house I live in, and appreciate the small sleepy village that we live in (still only 20 minutes from Brussels), I don't want to spend the rest of my existence here; I want to go home to my house in Cornwall.

The less onerous taxation is why many of our public services are poorer such as public transport outside of London.

My husband thinks this - he wants to leave bc he feels Brexit will destroy our kids' future. He's mooted emigrating before and I've told him I don't want to and while things are definitely going to be worse for a long time, I still don't think they're bad enough for me to leave my family and everything I know and I've just never had any interest in living elsewhere. He has mooted Canada (he has a career that would entitle him to work there) but fact is I've never been there. US, obviously, is just as messed up as we are if not worse (and wouldn't take DD to a country where so many people and legislators feel women should be forced to give birth against their will), Aus/NZ just too far, and I'm not learning another language on top of everything.

I think, sad to say, we in London and pretty well off so we and our kids will be able to weather the problems that moronically leaving the EU will cause - it's others I'm more worried about.

Sorry @marymarkle I don't understand what you mean by your second point. Is there a different taxation system for public services outside of London?

No, but we have pretty shit public transport outside of London, In contrast to some other European countries. London is rarely affected by cuts to local public services that other parts of the country are.

@Echobelly with money it is definitely easier to weather more storms, but it is worrying for those who don't have the same financial benefits.

I really think you should consider Glasgow. As an ex Londoner I think it has a very Londony feel to it, lots of culture, fairly diverse, it's even got a tube line! The main differences are that people actually speak to each other, and housing is a lot cheaper even in the fanciest areas.

Or, if I was dead set on leaving the UK and my language skills weren't so poor, I'd pick Berlin.

London gets 24 times as much spent on infrastructure per resident than north-east England

Of course you don't want to be the only black family in the village. Lots of white people ignore or don't even see the racism where they live.

Or many of us have experienced it.... In London. To imply that us an issue only outside of Greater London is ridicilous.

Transport gap London gets £419 more per head than north of England

@LittleTipple

I'm really lucky to live in a part of the States that is extremely liberal/left.

I love the sense of community here. Complete strangers go out of their way to help each other regularly.

I love that people here seem to do more for themselves. People build their own houses, grow their own food, chop their own wood. There's a real can do attitude. I learned how to do so much since moving here. Bake, garden, build, sew, how to pretty much survive. It's empowering.

Food here is mostly local and organic. Lots of people barter for goods or services. I just had our driveway gritted for free by a guy we give eggs to all year. In the summer I swap eggs, flowers and vegetables for other stuff we need.

And I find there's more chances for kids. A kid can come from a poor background, go to a good school and do well. DS will be in a class of 6 kids, the opportunities and scholarships he can get are huge and would pay for his university.

I find people here way more friendly and genuine. And for the most part more cheerful.

Obviously other parts of the States are very different, it's like comparing the UK to Russia to compare where I am to the west coast.

Healthcare is a concern. We're lucky where we live we have a big safety net of community funds so nobody goes hungry, cold or without the medical help they need.

I miss many things about the UK. It'll always be home but not really home ever again, it's hard to explain!

Yes Glasgow is very friendly, beautiful buildings, lots of parks, very diverse, lots of things to do, plus Edinburgh festival nearby during the summer. Never lived there, but looks a good place to live.

Don’t write off places because of lack of diversity. I’m in Wales, and not the City, some of both dc’s friends (14&18) are from the Philippines, India and Africa. The kids don’t see anything except friends🤷🏻‍♀️. I took dc14 out for bowling for his birthday the other year, the was him and one other white child out of a group of 8. Honestly I’m not aware of any of them having problems in school either. I think kids these days (well from my personal experience) are so different to past generations (thank God!). I

I've lived all over the UK both in London for 15 years, small towns, Bristol, Bath and the arse end of nowhere in Wales.

Have you thought about Brighton? Less expensive than London, good schools and diverse. Shite parking though.

Simple enough answer if you don't like the UK.

Leave.