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..

How about Hawaii? Very diverse and tolerant with weather that you can't beat. If you don't live right on the beach you can find a nice house for decent money.

Edinburgh has excellent buses & is pretty diverse. Just the light...

No Edinburgh is only friendly if you are the right social class.

Well @newnameforthis7 has told me! Might as well throw in go back to your own country whilst you're at it

Glasgow is a wonderful place. A proper city. The rain though.
I'm reading with interest and am currently favouring Hawaii
I wouldn't live in the Netherlands. I have a strange memory of a mix of very small c conservative conformism mixed with completely out there "progressiveness"
As in-you would get told off by your elderly neighbour for hanging your undies outside to dry, then go in the local shop and see her husband openly perusing "Anal Babes" while politely chatting to the store owner. .

New Zealand? Canadian friends call it "warm Canada".

Very few european countries embrace diversity , they tend not to embrace ''foreigners'' either
There is a saying '' Same shit , different location ''

I found living in Edinburgh quite village-like, certainly friendlier than the dire Oxfordshire Town we moved from. Problem is that you're permanently not local & just a tourist or something.

How about Hawaii? Very diverse and tolerant with weather that you can't beat. If you don't live right on the beach you can find a nice house for decent money.

As Hawaii is American it would be very difficult to move and work there ( unless I have missed something? )....Its also in the middle of bleeding nowhere and a long flight from anywhere !

Would you be eligible to reside in other countries indefinitely? Might be worth considering if there are any immigration issues which could restrict your choice first.

If you love London, you will not like New Zealand. Very parochial. The kind of British people I know who love living in New Zealand are in the main the same type who complain about too much immigration in Britain. A cousin moved there with her family after living in London and hated it in comparison to London. Also a lot of overt racism.

Loads of these places you can’t just up and move to (the USA, for example) - if only it were that easy! Might not even be that easy in Europe anymore either, so it’s all a bit pointless unless you know you are legally allowed to live & work somewhere.

Copenhagen and Berlin are both great. I can't comment on what they are like if you are not white, however.

If you want to move away from London to get more house for your money I'd suggest Liverpool, Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Or - what about Dublin? None of these places have a better climate than London though.

In terms of climate only I wonder about Malta? English speaking and Commonwealth so may have easier immigration laws for Brits after Brexit than other parts of Europe. But again I have no idea what it would be like to live there as a mixed race family. Others may be able to comment from a more informed perspective.

I’m with you OP. I’d love for DD to grow up in a country that’s going forwards, instead of always harking back. Unfortunately, my mum would be heartbroken if I took DD abroad and DD would really miss her and my dad.

I lived in the Netherlands in my late teens/early twenties, (early this millennium). The Dutch have a reputation for tolerance and open-mindedness, so I was taken aback to see some racism/xenophobia from locals. For example, I was shocked to hear a few Dutch colleagues openly sharing racist jokes about black people, and these were “nice” colleagues whom I’d always liked.

Apart from that (and the preponderance of cigarette smoke and bike thieves), I enjoyed living there. The public transport was far better than in the UK and I loved travelling around the country on my days off, plus the occasional day trip to Belgium or Germany.

Agree NZ is stunning but a bit like UK in the 50's, would suit some Brexiteers! London is wonderful but yes hugely expensive. How about Manchester?

Loving the idea of Hawaii!! Can't imagine it's got much going for it other than the beautiful scenery though if you're keen on museums, art galleries etc!

I can't imagine Malta being great for a mixed race family tbh, aren't they a bit stuck in the 50's too?

Manchester, definitely. Not lived there, but Birmingham seems like a good fit too.

I think people don't realise how big Hawaii is. There are loads of art galleries and even museums. There's tons to do. The people couldn't be nicer or more welcoming. If you got the funds to fly to California every year or so you'd be sorted.

Can you tell where I'm moving soon as the stepkids hit uni?

What about Ireland?

Housing in Dublin is expensive at the moment as supply was strangled for years after the recession, and now demand is through the roof. But other cities like Cork and Limerick have a better cost of living and have gorgeous countryside on their doorsteps.

All these people rolling their eyes about OP commenting on the lack of diversity beyond London clearly haven’t raised a mixed race family in very rural Suffolk, I wouldn’t do it again (my children are 19-28 now) but housing was cheap and I liked the low crime rate.

All these people rolling their eyes about OP commenting on the lack of diversity beyond London clearly haven’t raised a mixed race family in very rural Suffolk

The point being that Rural Suffolk and London aren't the only two places in the UK.

"Eye rolling" was to the idea only London offers diversity. It's not the case.

With the rise of the Far Right across Europe good luck finding somewhere as culturally diverse and tolerant as London. I’ve lived in another European country myself and it was just about the most racism, xenophobia and intolerance I have ever seen.

It’s oh so fashionable to give the London and the rest of the UK a good kicking but really British people are one of most accepting, tolerant and welcoming nations.

@Theunreasonableone I agree - I've come across racism almost everywhere, but the US and mainland Europe were the worst.

Well @newnameforthis7 has told me! Might as well throw in go back to your own country whilst you're at it hmm

OP - that is the bottom line. You're the one saying it's no good here any more. Some folk (like me) would never consider living anywhere else - but if you are mobile and don't like here, of course you're welcome to see how much better it would be somewhere else. No need to take offence - you started this debate.