To panic about the dire state of the UK?

[moveblues]

So... all things considered... aren't we up sh-t creek?
-gas and electricity prices
-covid (masks? Pfft completed Covid mate (in England))
-council tax hikes
-inflation
-food shortages
-Brexit
-petrol

Sounds like something out of a dystopian nightmare. I'm worried dear reader, and 'keep calm and carry on' doesn't help.

@Tealightsandd

Erm the point is that completely unsuppressed Covid would've (and did) stop many people being with their dying relatives. By killing them (or at very least making them too sick to travel).

How many dead delivery drivers do you want? Haven't we had more than enough?

Talk about King Canute!

What does that have to do with you thinking nobody sacrificed anything?

It also of course created a huge number of dying relatives. And continues to do so (in the UK, at least).

Currently 100-200 dying relatives a day.

@Tealightsandd

It also of course created a huge number of dying relatives. And continues to do so (in the UK, at least).

Currently 100-200 dying relatives a day.

Yes, but what’s your point about nobody making sacrifices?

I've made it several times.

Perhaps if people are so intent on self flagellation, we can see this as a return to the state our country would probably be in had we not had the British Empire.

God there's some miserable fuckers on this thread.

@Tealightsandd The thing with freedom of movement is that it was done in a way way more liberal way in the UK than EU required, or most EU nations chose to follow.
The UK opened its doors, schools, GPs and hospitals to any EU citizen staggering out of a plane or a bus. If you could make it to UK soil, just go get a NI number and you're all good.

The other EU nations never did that. They protected (and still are) their national interests by allowing job seekers in the country for 3 months self-funded, and only if they paid income tax in the pot first, could they reap the benefits of the society. So basically, find a job in 3 months or you're out.
The UK chose to interpret the freedom of movement in its own unique (disastrous) way, and here we are..

@Tealightsandd

I've made it several times.

That nobody made any sacrifices during covid?

@Overthehillandfartaway

English peoples attitudes of entitlement, arrogance, ignorance, selfishness and general bigotry are coming home to roost .

Us English are taught that the British Empire was marvelous, and that we won two World Wars because we are so much better than everyone else.

Well guess what, we aren't.

The British Empire was responsible for worldwide genocide and pillaging of treasures and wealth.

'We' didn't win any wars. We were part of an allied force . In WW2 we would have had our backsides handed to us by the Germans if it wasn't for the Russians and many other countries.

But still, we think we are so much better than anyone else that we can leave a trading block and all the benefits rhat brought to our shores.

Now we are the laughing stock of the world, and still people fawn over lying, cheating, bigoted corrupt scumbags like Boris Johnson and his equally vile mates.

I'm encouraging my daughter , at a very early age , to be excited by languages and take any opportunity she can to learn them, so when she's an adult she can leave this pathetic, embarrassing country and live somewhere with humanity, morality and opportunity.

Sadly. Yeah you got it

Yes agree Rug.

It wasn't so much the EU. It was Blair and Brown, and then (heir to Blair), Cameron, May, and so on.

Like I said. It wouldn't necessarily have been a problem. Had we funded the infrastructure, public services, and housing - that increased demand required. And put in place safeguards to protect employee wages and conditions of employment.

Whether migrant or British born, exploitation of cheap labour is not ok.

@Tealightsandd Exactly! There was no need to leave the EU at all to 'gain control of borders' and all that rubbish. They could have just tightened the criteria of eligibility.

Yes, it was started by Blair (Labour) and carried on by the tories. Makes you wonder why the tories never mentioned that the implementation of the policy started by Labour was the problem, and not EU itself? Could it be that they were looking after their own interests first and foremost and the whole thing played so neatly in this false narrative.

This is about the time when US twitter gets going. The situation over there is less than perfect. LA is dangerous and litter strewn and NY has a huge drug problem. Pharmaceuticals have been legally drugging the population for years.
Over in Australia people are losing their shot at yet another lockdown and the double vaccination rate is a paltry 38% (last time I looked).

Oh, and the French are revolting in the streets.

I really don’t get this. People made huge sacrifices and compliance was high.

That depends where you were. And when you are talking about. First lockdown for a few months maybe, but the minute the sun came out all bets were off. Did you see the pictures from pretty every beach or park? People were still supposed to be distancing but it needed the police to clear areas. Tourist hotspots were flooded. Our local police had to keep putting out posts asking people not to abandon their cars on public roads when heading to a popular tourist spots as emergency vehicles couldn’t get through and people were walking up what are major trunk routes. Not to mention the number of “garden parties” that went on here which came indoor parties by 10pm at night.

Whether migrant or British born, exploitation of cheap labour is not ok.

Define exploitation? There is a minimum wage. It is illegal not to pay it. Sure there are some companies who have been found not to be paying it but that’s not the norm. The jobs being filled by migrants are largely minimum wage jobs. Are you saying it is exploitation to pay a government approved minimum wage for a minimum wage job?

How is this possible on a 9-5?

It’s light when I commute to work, Lunch breaks, going for short walks on tea breaks. Travelling to other sites for meetings. In fact, I’m more likely to be out and about in daylight on a work day in the winter as at the weekend the weather is so shit I tend to stay indoors more. I can’t avoid going out to get lunch or going to meetings on a work day.

Define exploitation? There is a minimum wage. It is illegal not to pay it. Sure there are some companies who have been found not to be paying it but that’s not the norm. The jobs being filled by migrants are largely minimum wage jobs. Are you saying it is exploitation to pay a government approved minimum wage for a minimum wage job?

I think it depends on whether one takes the view that the government should act in the interests of British workers.

Truck driving used to be a much better paid job (notwithstanding crazy pay rises within past few months). The availability of cheap European drivers has meant that many companies have not increased the salary for many years now, and in some cases lowered it - e.g. Biffa now paying £2 less an hour than they did in 2013 but raking in huge profits.

Most British people are not prepared to live in an overcrowded house the way that many Eastern Europeans have historically done, so just can't afford to work for such low salaries. And some agency drivers would work over here for a period of time and then return home where the money earned will allow a much better quality of life than it would here, which isn't a viable option for a settled UK resident.

Nothing illegal about it but I reckon we'd hear more complaints if it was happening to graduate jobs and uni leavers were stuck on £25k ten years after graduating due to wages being driven down.

@Hdhdjejdj

Oh, and the French are revolting in the streets.

Their mums told them she was having none of that when they were indoors though, they wiped their feet on the mat and minded their manners at home.

The Norwegians are being a bit naughty as well www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/mass-brawls-reported-in-norway-as-country-celebrates-lifting-of-covid-restrictions-1.4684342
Looks like it's not just Brits that get drunk and make a show of themselves

I live in the middle east and in the last 18 months there has been a massive growth in British Healthcare. I don't recall ever having a British doctor before and now all the GPS at my clinic are British. There are private British hospitals popping up everywhere which is great for me. My new GP has just come from a leafy middle class area and said he feels guilty but he couldn't do it another day. Depriving patients of basic medicines and care and knowingly withholding basics like antibiotics, HRT and mental health drugs because of cost. You can't blame them, it's no life at all.

@Draggondragon

I live in the middle east and in the last 18 months there has been a massive growth in British Healthcare. I don't recall ever having a British doctor before and now all the GPS at my clinic are British. There are private British hospitals popping up everywhere which is great for me. My new GP has just come from a leafy middle class area and said he feels guilty but he couldn't do it another day. Depriving patients of basic medicines and care and knowingly withholding basics like antibiotics, HRT and mental health drugs because of cost. You can't blame them, it's no life at all.

Are you British is that why you prefer British doctors and Healthcare? Can you link to a new private British hospital

Mind you when I was at private GOSH the entire floor was ME with interpreters so there is a long established draw to British healthcare.

@BoredZelda

I really don’t get this. People made huge sacrifices and compliance was high.

That depends where you were. And when you are talking about. First lockdown for a few months maybe, but the minute the sun came out all bets were off. Did you see the pictures from pretty every beach or park? People were still supposed to be distancing but it needed the police to clear areas. Tourist hotspots were flooded. Our local police had to keep putting out posts asking people not to abandon their cars on public roads when heading to a popular tourist spots as emergency vehicles couldn’t get through and people were walking up what are major trunk routes. Not to mention the number of “garden parties” that went on here which came indoor parties by 10pm at night.

Out of interest did you do lockdown twice with dc home learning for two terms?

I don’t get why people focus on the summer and beaches and ignore what people did twice. Full lockdown, separated from others, businesses going under. I wonder how people missed all this stuff and latched onto beaches.

Btw Aus has similar beach pics.

I also think this lack of awareness is part of why people move on. Sacrifices for others that are scoffed at doesn’t stick. And on mn you get so many going on about selfish people. It’s so wrong.

I've no fondness for my own country at the moment, but let's not pretend everything is marvellous elsewhere. No country is a bloody Shangri-La, ffs. New Zealand has its fair share of crime and anti-social behaviour; the far right are rising in N. Europe.

My friend, with a second home in Italy, earnestly told me when we were watching a thing about Brits abroad, that public drunkenness was an anathema to Italians, on a par with shitting oneself in the street. This didn't quite square with my experience of seeing men and women shooting up on nearly every corner, while in Naples.

I live in the middle east and in the last 18 months there has been a massive growth in British Healthcare. I don't recall ever having a British doctor before and now all the GPS at my clinic are British. There are private British hospitals popping up everywhere which is great for me. My new GP has just come from a leafy middle class area and said he feels guilty but he couldn't do it another day. Depriving patients of basic medicines and care and knowingly withholding basics like antibiotics, HRT and mental health drugs because of cost. You can't blame them, it's no life at all.

It’s the same here in Australia. The majority of health care professionals we’ve seen have come from the UK and saying the same thing. I saw a newly arrived GP a year ago and was sent for a CT scan because, ‘We’re in Australia and I’m allowed to do that’.
We’re HCPs and working here is great in comparison with how the NHS is now.
We came back here because we wanted to watch how Brexit unfolds from afar, but I’m certain we won’t go back now we’re seeing what’s happening over there. It’s sad, but I really think the future for our young adult DCs is better here. That, and the fact that our families and friends tell us we’d be mad to consider it!

@Eaglesqueak

I live in the middle east and in the last 18 months there has been a massive growth in British Healthcare. I don't recall ever having a British doctor before and now all the GPS at my clinic are British. There are private British hospitals popping up everywhere which is great for me. My new GP has just come from a leafy middle class area and said he feels guilty but he couldn't do it another day. Depriving patients of basic medicines and care and knowingly withholding basics like antibiotics, HRT and mental health drugs because of cost. You can't blame them, it's no life at all.

It’s the same here in Australia. The majority of health care professionals we’ve seen have come from the UK and saying the same thing. I saw a newly arrived GP a year ago and was sent for a CT scan because, ‘We’re in Australia and I’m allowed to do that’.
We’re HCPs and working here is great in comparison with how the NHS is now.
We came back here because we wanted to watch how Brexit unfolds from afar, but I’m certain we won’t go back now we’re seeing what’s happening over there. It’s sad, but I really think the future for our young adult DCs is better here. That, and the fact that our families and friends tell us we’d be mad to consider it!

Yes probably stay there

But if any HCP moved to Sydney or Melbourne I feel for them escaping only to go through lockdowns or strained health service again.