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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To panic about the dire state of the UK?

999 replies

moveblues · 25/09/2021 20:39

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.

OP posts:
MrsSkylerWhite · 27/09/2021 11:02

25/09/2021 21:48 WhatwouldAnneFrankthinkofus

Nothing like a gloom and doom thread to cheer everyone up isn't it.No-one has to stay in uk you know, if it's not good then I am sure there are plenty flights out to greener pastures.“

Unfortunately, we don’t have the right to go to lots of them now.

Hdhdjejdj · 27/09/2021 11:06

@Draggondragon Yes because no woman in the UK has men who work for her Confused

WildfirePonie · 27/09/2021 11:10

Let's all grab a dinghy and head for Europe. I heard they have food and petrol over there.

pontypridd · 27/09/2021 11:13

No-one has to stay in uk you know, if it's not good then I am sure there are plenty flights out to greener pastures

I'd love to leave. Where are we allowed to go to?

Draggondragon · 27/09/2021 11:19

:06Hdhdjejdj

@Draggondragon Yes because no woman in the UK has men who work for her confused

Goodness what a very silly comment. You were talking about being a woman in the middle east.. Who gives a crap what you do in the UK. Out of interest, what do you do? Are you working?

MarshaBradyo · 27/09/2021 11:21

@pontypridd

No-one has to stay in uk you know, if it's not good then I am sure there are plenty flights out to greener pastures

I'd love to leave. Where are we allowed to go to?

Aid has a points system based on in demand skills.

I’m not sure what’s on there currently

MarshaBradyo · 27/09/2021 11:21

Aus that is

MarshaBradyo · 27/09/2021 11:24

@Eaglesqueak

Hdjejdj, it’s definitely not fun in Melbourne right now and we have some real numpties in charge of the country, so like everywhere Australia has it’s issues. I have friends from the uk here who are going back, so it’s not for everyone, but even they would say it’s far from grim. A lot is about mindset wherever you live, I suppose and the feeling of fitting in or displacement as well as a feeling of well-being. MarshaBradyo, I had my dcs in the UK too and DD1 had a spell in paediatric icu and we had fabulous treatment, but there’s no doubt that healthcare is not so easy to access anymore. It’s very sad, but absolutely a choice the government has made. Having lived through the Thatcher years we decided we didn’t want to live with anything similar again - it was too depressing to think about.
Fair enough. I feel lucky to have choices, we’re quite into emigrating as a family so if people want to, and can make it work why not (but maybe pandemic will change perspectives.)

I arrived in 1998 and feel like opportunities have been pretty incredible at times.

But I have great memories of Melbs, close to my heart. Have a good coffee when it opens up again.

Eaglesqueak · 27/09/2021 11:33

But I have great memories of Melbs, close to my heart. Have a good coffee when it opens up again.

Haha, luckily we can still get coffee. There’d be civil war if Melburnians were denied that!

MarshaBradyo · 27/09/2021 11:34

Oh phew! And true 😂

DdraigGoch · 27/09/2021 11:39

@BoredZelda

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?

Plenty of dodgy practices around, whether legal or not.

Insisting that staff must be available to work whenever the employer wants them, yet not guaranteeing them minimum hours so that they have no security is exploitative. If you want staff to be available at any time without working another job to make up the money, you either need to guarantee them enough hours to live on, or pay them a retainer.

Employers could get away with such practices when they "could get someone else to fill your job tomorrow" but now they can't they are forced to start treating their staff like human beings again if they want to keep them.

Berkeys · 27/09/2021 12:03

@MarshmallowSwede

Swedish here.. no. Things are not bad in Sweden. Energy prices are going to rise, but we don’t have people worried about getting food, we don’t have people who are going to face being homeless on the street because they had to choose food or a roof over their head. We don’t have people worried about if they will have a warm house in the winter.

We are in the last stages of our move back to Stockholm and I can’t say how relieved I am. It has come to a point where I would be afraid for my life and the life of my unborn child if I had to stay here. Your government has no clue how to actually run a country that works for everyone. So I’m going back where I come from.. which seems to be the most common retort I get whenever I dare say any criticism about the UK government.

So please stop saying “it’s worse or it’s just as bad in other countries”… no it’s not. You are telling yourselves this because you bought a load of bullshit and are too proud to admit that you bought a load of bullshit and told the person selling you bullshit thank you sir.. then you sent them a gift basket for said bullshit.

You make yourself sound foolish when you say “others have it worse”. No.. Germany. Fine. All of Scandinavia.. fine. Holland. Fine. It’s only you and your screwed up ideas of what is a functioning government and healthy happy citizens means. If this was happening in Sweden there would be help for citizens to make sure no one is hungry, and to make sure no one is without heat. It would not even be acceptable to have someone have to cut down so much in heating considering how cold it gets. This is cruel to even ask someone to do this . I have read a many people worried about heating and food. What is going on?

You don’t have any idea what it means to have a nation that works for everyone. Why do you have homeless people on the street and people living so poorly they are worried about food now? Good god.. do people in the UK not understand that there are so many nations where this is not happening.? You are the only country that is lying to its citizens saying that this is normal and ok. No it’s not. It’s unacceptable.

As long as you keep making excuses then you’re going to sink lower and further away from any sort of functioning society. But maybe this is what your government is wants. None of this hurts them, but it will certainly hurt you.

But you can be sure, that most Northern European nations at least are doing fine. Thriving.. yet here you are with petrol shortage. Good shortage. High energy prices, labour shortages. You don’t even know how bad things are because you are brainwashed into thinking that how you live is acceptable.

I hope you one day wake up and demand that your government do right by its people and make sure it works for everyone. It doesn’t seem to work for most people in the UK. In my opinion, whatever you are doing is not working. It hasn’t worked for a long time.

You don’t have any room to criticise any government considering the appalling way the people of the UK are being treated and live. And it helps no one to keep on “well we have it good compared to this and that land”. I can assure you that you live worse than any Swede, or any Scandinavian. You live worse than the germans. You live worse than the Dutch.

Parts of the UK live in poverty levels like Victorian times. You should be ashamed that you have a government where they think this is ok. And what are they doing to help the citizens in this crisis?

I have not heard a sound from your government about any initiative to help the families and households right now. Mother and baby incentives to ensure pregnant mothers will have enough to eat. Food prices will hit hard for many people. What are you going to do to make sure pregnant women have enough? What are you going to do to make sure that all children will be in warm houses and have enough good food ? Where is this?

Do you wait until darkness comes to gather wood? No.. you get the wood before the sun sets so you can build the fire. Why has there been no plan to make sure citizens get thru the winter? Visas for Lorry drivers? That’s your plan? That’s the only thing you’re doing?

This is undoubtedly a crisis. Therefore crisis action needs to be taken now. What is it with the UK government waiting until the last minute to do anything that is remotely like governing the nation? Will they wait until you have people freeze and hungry?

Meanwhile Boris is asking Brazil and USA for a trade deal ( trade deals should have been done before ink signed on brexit deal- that’s a different story) when he should be looking into the National budget seeing how he can make up the difference in the family pocketbook so that food price hikes don’t pour stress on people. There should be emergency initiatives rolling out now.

And for those saying this is all an over reaction.. you’re part of the problem. And it’s people like you that will hasten the descent of your country into even darker days.

What do you pay taxes for? Your health service is about to collapse, your streets (at least in London ) are filthy. There are homeless people everywhere. Where do the taxes go to?

Now food shortages. No one else is Europe is having shelves bare. And instead of your government doing anything, they are just shrugging and saying ok. We will get more drivers. What about the price of food going up and less being available? People are in real danger of going into winter being cold and having less to eat. And not one initiative, even a temporary initiative until the spring, to ensure food and heat for everyone stays going.

I really pray for you to get your act together.

This x100! I didn’t realise how backwards and filthy the UK was until I spent time in the Netherlands.
Tealightsandd · 27/09/2021 12:08

Unfortunately, we don’t have the right to go to lots of them now.

Of course we do. If we offer the skills they need.

OrangeBlossomsinthesun · 27/09/2021 12:08

In terms of healthcare..NHS versus other countries, here in Spain DS is off high school today (where they wear masks at all times) with a sore throat and a headache . I walked into the doctors and asked for an appointment and the doctor phoned me half an hour later. She has prescribed painkillers and says she will want to see him in person if he develops a fever. He is 13 and also fully vaccinated against covid.

daisyjgrey · 27/09/2021 12:23

@MarshmallowSwede

Can I come too please? I'm quite thrifty and I make good bread 🤷🏼‍♀️

MarshaBradyo · 27/09/2021 12:25

@OrangeBlossomsinthesun

In terms of healthcare..NHS versus other countries, here in Spain DS is off high school today (where they wear masks at all times) with a sore throat and a headache . I walked into the doctors and asked for an appointment and the doctor phoned me half an hour later. She has prescribed painkillers and says she will want to see him in person if he develops a fever. He is 13 and also fully vaccinated against covid.
Tbh even when we were still in some restrictions I called for dd ear infection on Saturday morning and got an appointment an hour later.

I realise people have a harder time but I’ve not experienced same.

Tealightsandd · 27/09/2021 12:38

At the heart of the 'broken Britain' crisis is the very serious public health housing emergency. We need to sort it out.

Escalating wages still won't catch up with the unsustainable house price bubble. Employers do need to offer fair pay, but in the end they can only increase by so much.

The cost of living will continue to spiral unless and until we buy and build more social rented housing. Lots of it.

The reality is that for industries across society, it's less that wages are too low and more that housing to buy or rent continues to spiral - further and further out of control.

It will cost upfront but it's an investment badly needed. It will save hugely longer term. The public health housing emergency has a deep impact on society in so many ways. It's not by any means our only problem but it's a major one - and it is the root cause of a lot of the issues.

A cohesive society with stable communities is priceless.

FreeBritnee · 27/09/2021 12:41

In terms of healthcare..NHS versus other countries, here in Spain DS is off high school today (where they wear masks at all times) with a sore throat and a headache . I walked into the doctors and asked for an appointment and the doctor phoned me half an hour later. She has prescribed painkillers and says she will want to see him in person if he develops a fever. He is 13 and also fully vaccinated against covid.

My GP is excellent. Triages calls and prioritises children. So I’m sure I would also have an excellent service in the same scenario.

FreeBritnee · 27/09/2021 12:44

Also no food shortages here. Went shopping this morning abd got everything on the list.

Think this is very dependent on where you live in the UK. If the area is overpopulated then it stands to reason that right now there’s no petrol and gaps in shelves.

onlychildhamster · 27/09/2021 12:50

@FreeBritnee we live in London, we managed to buy everything we need. and even a luxury- moon cakes! But I think if you are on a budget, it may be tough as a lot of the lower priced items are not stocked.

Sunflowers095 · 27/09/2021 12:50

@MartyHart

I'm in the EU. No shortage of truck drivers. Supermarket shelves full and plenty of fuel. Energy prices will rise but suppliers are not going bust. Healthcare is more or less back to normal, just with masks.
Not surprising. If so many people in the UK weren't bigoted and keen to vote against their own interest/had any critical thinking skills we wouldn't be in this mess right now.

While no one could have predicted covid you need to be really dumb to not have predicted how financially & logistically challenging Brexit would be.

Tealightsandd · 27/09/2021 12:51

@Eaglesqueak

MarshaBradyo, we’re in Melbourne. It’s been very tough, but our healthcare hasn’t been rationed, thankfully. I’ve had Ct scans, X-rays, blood tests, normal screening tests, physio etc etc all at times to suit me. My youngest DD has just had an ADHD diagnosis. She had to wait two weeks to see a psychiatrist and has been followed up weekly while she gets used to her meds. She’s also getting input from psychology and peers to help her find strategies to deal with her difficulties. This is in comparison with a friend in the UK whose son has waited 2 1/2 years for the same diagnosis. He now has to wait another 4 months until the nurse can see him to give him meds and titrate the dose as needed. Things here aren’t perfect and 20 years ago I would have preferred the UK, but it’s changed there too much now. It’s also good working in better (again, not perfect) funded services There are no empty shelves in supermarkets and although deliveries are taking longer than normal, that’s a worldwide issue at the moment. I’d rather live through this lockdown, which will end soon now we actually have the vaccines and we’re heading towards 70-80% cover, than go back to working in the NHS and the mess in the UK right now.
This.

It's nowhere close to the situation in the UK. At our 'best' eg. right now, we have 100-200 a day being killed by Covid. Many more facing the prospect of Long Covid.

Melbourne and Sydney locked down with cases far far lower than the UK. Because - preventative action.

They also don't plan on reopening until a much higher percentage of the population has been (fully) vaccinated. Including children over 12.

And of course Australia is not just Victoria and NSW. Other states are less enthusiastic about Scott Morrison and Gladys Berejiklian's weak attempt at Boris Johnson lite.

MarshaBradyo · 27/09/2021 12:53

The situation in Aus and U.K. wrt borders are too different.

By now people should be getting this.

Re where we live I’m in London and food is fine, GP and dental have been good but queues for petrol yesterday

Tealightsandd · 27/09/2021 12:59

I'm in the EU.
No shortage of truck drivers.

That's not what the European Road Haulage Association are saying.

Treating HGV drivers like shit has been a Europe wide problem for years. It's only now, when there's a crisis, that the EU hastily cobbled together packages (pay and conditions) for the drivers.

It doesn't take 5 years to train drivers. Why didn't the UK government offer decent pay and working conditions - to attract people to train up?

Tealightsandd · 27/09/2021 13:06

@MarshaBradyo

The situation in Aus and U.K. wrt borders are too different.

By now people should be getting this.

Re where we live I’m in London and food is fine, GP and dental have been good but queues for petrol yesterday

I suspect people got that months and months ago. Just like the UK border situation differed from Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and major international travel hub (except during a pandemic) NYC.

Glad to hear that your part of London is calm. It's not the same city wide.

Police in Hackney had to jump the queue the other day to get fuel.

And an ambulance in Bromley on an emergency call crashed with a car whilst trying to navigate past the petrol station queues.