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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Tell me the bad things about living in the UK

517 replies

alwayscrashinginthesamecar1 · 27/05/2020 06:11

In the interests of equality, as we have had other threads for other countries, I thought I'd start this thread.

I'll start it off with

Bloody awful weather
Obsessed with class
Racist and in some places sectarian too
Filthy cities.

OP posts:
NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 27/05/2020 13:13

I love the UK. Genuinely. Born in the westcountry, now live in the south east. I like our weather. Rain = green fields, I don't like it too hot, our summer weather is perfect for me, and I like that our winters aren't too cold. Our weather is very safe, free of the extremes that cause damage, drought and injury in other parts of the world. Like everywhere in the West, there are legacies of the racism of the past, but the direction of travel is good imho, same true of women's rights etc. We have great education, good employment rights, and culture I love.

I do think we have a deep seated problem with property prices relative to earnings, that will take generations to change, even now there have been some steps taken (changing how buy to let is taxed etc).

Fluffyglitterystuff · 27/05/2020 13:23

Sorry I know I've just done the opposite of the thread title. I just can't think of anything that's bad that's exclusive to the UK.

MaxNormal · 27/05/2020 13:29

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER actually yes I've lived in the Gulf! Now that was something. Like a steam oven. Nevertheless, I find most of Northern Europe humid when its warm. I like arid and Mediterranean climates.

EdwinaMay · 27/05/2020 13:33

What fascinates me here is how is actually the argument "well, it's more racist elsewhere" accepted by many

Because it is probably not completely fixable - ie that everyone is not racist - there will always be idiots.

PollyPelargonium52 · 27/05/2020 13:34

Very expensive housing. A wide gap between rich and poor. Now ever increasing thanks to corona pandemic.An ineffective NHS. Plus North South divide.Riddled with class division. A very divided country in terms of Brexit. A crappy climate.State pensions not the best. Nonetheless I could never live anywhere else!!

AgeLikeWine · 27/05/2020 13:53

Britain is very far from perfect, and other developed countries do many things better than we do, but let’s be realistic. Anyone lucky enough to be born in a modern, stable, safe, liberal, democratic country in which the rule of law is taken seriously should be very conscious of their privilege.

If you doubt this, try publicly criticising XI Jinping in China or Vladimir Putin in Russia or Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Saudi Arabia the way that random guy harangued Boris Johnson in the park last week, and let me know how you get on.

Billions of people around the world are far less fortunate than we are.

deydododatdodontdeydo · 27/05/2020 13:54

Mixer taps are still not standard.

This always comes up, but why?
Mixer taps seem to be in the majority in the UK. Or certainly common enough that I'm puzzled what people are on about.
Plus when I lived abroad, my flat and those of my friends sometimes had mixer taps and some didn't. My friend and aunt who live in France have some mixer taps and some not.

Lweji · 27/05/2020 13:57

An ineffective NHS
Regardless of faults and underfunding, one thing it is not is ineffective.

Rocksandstones · 27/05/2020 14:40

I don’t have a problem with UK weather, I never really get it when people say it’s ‘grey and damp’ all the time. It’s just not true In my experience. Maybe it’s worse in different parts but I’m down south we’ve had maybe one rainy day in the last month? Endless blue skies otherwise!
I do however dislike the short days in winter, hate it getting dark at 430. And this winter was very wet. No snow though! On the other hand I love love the light summers and long summer evenings, not getting dark till 10pm!
I do not like the current government.

House prices where I am are so expensive and unachievable for most (so lots of people rent which is also so expensive!)
The cost of trains even for a short journey

That’s all the negative I can think of, I love the culture, food, most the people (again I haven’t come across this ‘moaning’ attitude some pp have mentioned) great tv, great music, love the pubs especially a beer garden in the summer, NHS, beautiful countryside and beaches and generally it feels safe

Cincoperros · 27/05/2020 16:08

Im hoping to come back to the UK after living in Latín América for 5 years.
I'm looking forward to not having to deal with corrupt police, a truly incompetent government, horrendous harrasment, not being able to walk anywhere alone as a woman, or even a man if its dark, extremely high prices for foods, books, electronics and clothing compared to wages, the way dogs are treated as vermin or chained up as guard dogs. Having to drive every where and others on the roads driving like maniacs and of course uninsured. Houses with absolutley tiny gardens, henious violence acepted as normal, ditto violence to women. Thats not to mention the volcanic erruptions and earthquakes (have experienced both and theyre terifying). Also the racism/classism here is revolting. If you're any darker than say a spaniard would be, youre assumed to be poverty stricken, indigenous, uneduacted etc. My partner is quite indigenous/mixed looking and has been told hes "very dark for his proffesion" or "very dark to have snagged a white woman" Shock
The weather here is what most brits would deem delightful, warm sunny always around 20-30 degrees but a nice cool breeze. However I've got a health issue made worse by heat and sun so I can't go out and enjoy it much... And forget wearing shorts and a vest to enjoy it, unless you want to get screamed at by creepy men.

Im looking forward to the UK where these issues are no-existent or far less bad.
My partner is from the country I'm in now and while he gets a bit down with the grey drizzly days and long winter night, he marvels at how just and fair, socialy equal, green (in both senses of the word), animal friendly, open to outsiders, diverse, mobile and supportive the UK is.
He loves the trains and trams, the concept of the NHS, the pub-culture, the accesible parks and nature, the variety of people and cuisines, the affordability (relative), the way christmas is a whole festive season here, not one day focused on religión and above all the SAFETY.
Yes there are not great things about the UK but having lived abroad and seeing it though the eyes of a foreigner, you realise how lucky we are!!!

BarbedBloom · 27/05/2020 16:21

Big gap between rich and poor
Unpredictable weather
Racism
Brexit

I have lived elsewhere and there are problems with every country really. It can also vary hugely due to area. However we are still considering if we want to stay post Brexit and I do spend time trying to think about the positives. I think if we do stay we are going to have to move as where we are now is not great

MarieIVanArkleStinks · 27/05/2020 17:56

It's true: we really do have a weird hang-up with social class. It's when you've lived abroad for any duration and then returned that you really do notice it, but it's a 'thing' and it's pretty evident to anyone. It also make things (and people) depressingly, boringly conformist.

Cost of living isn't great.

Complaining is something that's pretty much endemic in any society, but we seem to get a bad rap for it. We are, however, a fairly reserved (some might say insular) society. I find that very noticeable whenever I've been away in the States or on the continent. When I come home it seems that people are more morose and less outgoing than they are in those places.

Being monolingual is a disadvantage. I'd love to be fluent in another language. The issue is if you don't use it constantly, you lose it.

Teachers, professors, doctors etc are treated with a great deal of respect in other countries: Norway and Germany just for two. Here, those people seem to be roundly despised (public sector workers?)

Racism is a problem in many countries. The good thing about Britain is that at least here it's viewed as being beyond the pale, whereas elsewhere it can be so casual and commonplace it's pretty much accepted.

The volume of traffic on our roads is horrendous. Likewise our very overpriced rail network runs to capacity even on an average day.

An outdated constitution, hereditary head of state and upper house, together with a very nepotistic old boys' network, are vastly at odds with a modern-day, democratic, meritocratic society. Our system is long overdue an overhaul.

Negatives aside we have a country with one of the richest cultural histories on the globe, diverse wildlife, miles upon miles of beautiful coastline, beautiful historic cities, wonderful humour, and an attitude of championing the underdog. I sometimes wish we had a better sense of community and/or had come further toward social and sexual equality. Nowhere is perfect.

WaterBubble5 · 27/05/2020 18:16

Cramped country and gridlocked roads.

Zero positivity

Kids wrapped in cotton wool and not taught to enjoy outdoors

Unfriendliness excused as British standoffishness

Rudeness

Moaning

No can do mentality

Crap weather

Class system

Racism and homophobia, a seriously non inclusive society

Far too much focus on London......

I best stop, I’m depressing myself.

WaterBubble5 · 27/05/2020 18:17

Xenophobia

WaterBubble5 · 27/05/2020 18:18

Arrogance

< sits on hands>

Rodehereonthebus · 27/05/2020 18:28

Speaking of England specifically:

Huge class divisions and judgment based on where you live/schooling/accent.
Emphasis on outward forms of politeness which can be very passive aggressive.
Horrible and hugely expensive public transport in many parts of the country.
A sense of cultural superiority and a blindness to racism here because it's not as overt as in other places.
Very crowded and dense in cities and towns - driving and parking are a nightmare in many places.
Roundabouts! Eurgh.
Rain, and lots of it.

Overall though, it's a great place to live compared to many other places. You take the good with the bad.

ilikebooksandplants · 27/05/2020 18:32

The price of public transport to get anywhere outside of London is absolutely criminal, especially if you want to go between London - Manchester for the weekend.

The price of houses in London is also insane. We have only been able to buy due to significant and extremely generous gifts from both set of parents. We live in a tiny box in zone 2. We both have masters degrees and are both in well paid jobs too! It absolutely should not be the way that housing should be completely unaffordable to us without our parents giving us hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The way that life hasn’t really improved for a lot of people and they’re living under needlessly punishing austerity. There should not be the level of deprivation that there is in the UK.

The cost of a university education.

Brexit.

The fact that foreign languages are not taught in schools properly so we can all only really speak English.

Otherwise I quite like living here, on the whole.

Destroyedpeople · 27/05/2020 18:32

I think it's ok on the whole. Other than the financial corruption and weak and venal politicians.
There are way worse places to live.

a12345b · 27/05/2020 18:40

How british are unable to see any fault in their country, as evidenced by this thread 😂

Destroyedpeople · 27/05/2020 18:44

I am not sure that everyone who lives here and has posted here is British in fact....

Destroyedpeople · 27/05/2020 18:45

..but don't let that minor detail put you off crying with laughter...

Movinghouseatlast · 27/05/2020 18:46

The fucking Tories. Brexit.

I am ashamed to be British. I wish I could move abroad and get away from the wholesale destruction of this country.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 27/05/2020 18:48

Very little wrong with it.

It’s a bit busy.

a12345b · 27/05/2020 18:50

How wet and grey it is for months on end, how classist it is, how children are a different class altogether, how they r fed crap, how cooking from scratch is seen as a showing off rather then normality, how people stay inside their nuclear family bubble without building meaningful relationship outside that, how set in their ways people are here,blindingly following stupid rules, how people are thought to snitch and winge about everythinghow everything said always has an underlying meaning, how people here think they are so much better and their way of doing things is so much more advanced then everyone and everything else etc etc etc..

Destroyedpeople · 27/05/2020 18:53

I do find people complaining about the weather a bit irritating. It's almost like a knee jerk reaction. Go live somewhere with no water and 40 degree summers if you wish. ..
Also Australians and that going on about 'whinging poms' when all they do themselves is complain about the weather or the beer temperature.
It's like me going to Alice Springs and complaining about the heat and the cold beer.

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