To ask why people flee the UK?

[seasonalsparkler]

I haven't posted in a while and have name changed. In light of recent events such as brexit, royal drama and suicidal behaviour- I can't help but to pick up on a troubling undercurrent. So I guess I am asking for anyone to shed light on why you have fled the UK or why you might consider doing so?

I have but long before brexit.

My reasons:

• The weather. I found the greyness of everything really depressing. Yes the UK usually gets a good few weeks, but that isn’t enough for me.

• people’s attitudes are so negative. Whinging, whining, moaning. Drags you down when you hear it everyday, everywhere you go. They don’t call us whinging poms over here for nothing.

• every town the same. No real sense of culture. Same old debenhams, m&s, river island etc on every high street. (But ironically I do miss the shopping!).

To me it felt like living in the UK was just going through the motions of life, without actually living. So go to uni, get a job you probably hate, earn money that never seems to be enough, buy a house that costs you nearly all your wages in mortgage and isn’t even close to being your dream house, have kids, can’t afford holidays, blah blah blah.

I do of course realise there are FAR worse places to be living in the world than the UK. But I had an opportunity to make a change for myself and I took it, and my life is much better now.

To me it felt like living in the UK was just going through the motions of life, without actually living. So go to uni, get a job you probably hate, earn money that never seems to be enough, buy a house that costs you nearly all your wages in mortgage and isn’t even close to being your dream house, have kids, can’t afford holidays, blah blah blah.

Surely that says more about you than the UK, though @Ithink? I left the UK in late 2019, after living there for most of my adult life, but that doesn't reflect my experience of the country at all.

I left (I didn't flee) five years ago to an EU country and the birth country of my DH. We left because we could afford more in my DH's home town. Despite the reputation of this EU country being a 'superior' standard of living on lots of levels, the reality is far from the truth. A lot of things are better in the UK. I am desperate to move back to the UK. Ex pat friends moved back two years ago and don't regret it.

Not exactly fleeing, but quite a few academics are leaving the country because they fear losing access to international research projects what with brexit and a government who don't seem very interested in negotiating participation. As academics are supposed to contribute substantially to their own salaries through funding, this is a big worry.

I love this country deeply, but the precarity in my job and the fear of it getting worse, knowing that I might no longer be able to do my best work here, is something that I am becoming increasingly aware of.

Yes, indeed, @cory.

ithink the business about going through the motions applies anywhere though doesn’t it? I mean, unless you are born rich, surely that experience applies wherever you live?

I totally get the point about the weather.

Young people in the UK have it harder than their parents at the same age. Houses much much more expensive. Have to pay for university, but degree is expected even for menial jobs.

In a lot of other countries, universities are free, and housing is less difficult.

Left for better wages and better quality of life.

Reflecting on living in this new country I do enjoy the better quality of life. I do agree with PP that the UK is very negative.

However observing what I see in New country the UK has reasonable systems for health and housing. I know it's still not totally fair but much better than alot of places. The gap between the classes is wide but not as wide as in other countries. Even the poorest still have access to these basic needs

Flee?

I went to the Jewish museum in Berlin today. Have you been OP?

That's what flee means.

Chrissakes.

Canapes Tue 18-Feb-20 17:27:18
To me it felt like living in the UK was just going through the motions of life, without actually living. So go to uni, get a job you probably hate, earn money that never seems to be enough, buy a house that costs you nearly all your wages in mortgage and isn’t even close to being your dream house, have kids, can’t afford holidays, blah blah blah.
.........
Blimey, Canapes, not everyone's life is like that and if it is, it won't be forever. Things do get better.

My DD is emigrating. There's not a lot of social mobility for young people, the wages are too low, the cost of housing is WAY too high and private renting is absolutely awful. As she says, 'The scenery is pretty, but that's true for a lot of the world.' She also finds people very negative here. I might not be long behind her.

Very disrespectful to say flee when it isnt.

Sorry Canapes, I see you were quoting Ithinkitcouldbeme.

I've always been happy here and when I was hard up years ago, I still liked the country. It's certainly far, far better now than when I was a child despite house prices.

Many people want to come here to live - not just poor but professional people - so it can't be all bad. There isn't constant moaning from everyone and there's plenty of culture. When I worked in central London it was amazing, there was always somewhere to go and see something interesting. I liked visiting other parts of the country too, there's a lot on offer.

Brexit has cast a shadow unfortunately but we'll get over it in time.

I've lived lots of places abroad , UK has many good things. Eg it is cold in winter but not many degrees below freezing, I can cycle/walk out of doors in December. The BBC - good talk radio, advert free tv. Green hills - if you live in a hot dry country there won't be greenery all year, more brown and dusty. Great authors, musicals, songwriters, plays, movies, comedy++, we definitely punch above our weight. Fashion, shopping, loads of things to do relatively close together - museums, theatres, countryside, beaches etc. No dangerous snakes, spiders, poisonous plants etc. So kids can go out to play alone!!
Historical stuff- castles, houses, gardens, standing stones, ancient burial sites etc. Good choice of unis. Buses and taxis so YOU don't have to always drive everywhere. Not too far from Med, skiing areas for hols. Good home grown food if you want it. Etc

Well said Helga!

Helga if it’s not obvious, I bloody love this country.

But I’m interested you mentioned comedy. I think there’s brilliant drama made here but hardly any comedy. I could do with a light hearted thing to watch do all recs welcome, assuming the fled OP doesn’t mind the diversion.

Helga yes uk has all that but a lot of people are excluded from those things due to money and an ever growing divide in wealth, opportunities and lifestyle.

I have lived in 4 different countries. The UK is the best of the 4. l would like to try living somewhere else now, but it's very difficult with visas/jobs/languages/cost of relocating etc. Brexit and the rain are depressing, but everywhere has problems.

London has been my home for 25+ years so I wouldn’t want to leave (still love it, but less than I used to). I probably would choose to live in Amsterdam or Berlin now. Brexit and the casual racism that used to be totally unacceptable in London only a few years ago have made it hard for people of my ilk -as I was once addressed.

Another British Canadian here - we left 14 yrs ago for an adventure. It's worked out very well for us.

Lived in a couple of diff provinces and plan to move to the mountains in the next few years when we've knocked a bit more of the mortgage.

Are people ‘fleeing’ ? I’m thinking about it for work reasons but still have European citizen as well as British so it’ll be go for a few years and then return I would imagine as we can still move freely in the EU as a family.

" Great authors, musicals, songwriters, plays, movies, comedy++, we definitely punch above our weight. Fashion, shopping, loads of things to do relatively close together - museums, theatres, countryside, beaches etc. No dangerous snakes, spiders, poisonous plants etc. So kids can go out to play alone!!
Historical stuff- castles, houses, gardens, standing stones, ancient burial sites etc. Good choice of unis. Buses and taxis so YOU don't have to always drive everywhere. Not too far from Med, skiing areas for hols. Good home grown food if you want it."

Those are all lovely things but day to day, if you're a low earner (or even a middle earner), you won't be accessing them.

It's not perfect where I live, not by a long shot. But leisure pursuits are more accessible, for many reasons, where I live now.

No dangerous snakes, spiders, poisonous plants etc. So kids can go out to play alone!!

Nobody let their kids play out alone in the naice Cheshire village we lived in before we moved to Oz.

Now we're in a country town where everyone lets them...the fear of snakes and spiders just isn't a thing...kids know where not to go. Long grass in the summer? Don't go there. Pile of dead wood? Don't mess with that.

Here kids call for one another and play out in the many open green spaces around the small town.

Canapes I don't know...I relate to the feeling of just not actually LIVING when I was in the UK. It felt like a sort of half-life.

No spare money to do much...always doing the free stuff...yes, lovely parks but once the kids get older, they want more than that.

Here in Australia we can actually DO a bit more. We earn more yes...but there's more to do somehow.

The beach is free and my youngest is there all the time when it's warm...straight after school.

THere are always happenings...live music and markets, concerts and fairs...festivals etc. Mini local ones are common and the teens love them.