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.

Johnson is way out of his depth, his government are a joke, grifters, chancers and incompetents.

As the lies pile up alongside the bodies but with no actual opposition or media interested in genuine journalism they seem to get away eith it all.
If Mr Corbyn had been in charge of this shit show can you imagine the reaction and demands of our media. Shame on those who voted for this liar.

@AlexaShutUp if there’s a high wage economy it has a stimulating effect on the economy too, ie more demand as people have money to spend, which in turn creates new jobs, there’s an argument to be had that the lowest paid (who are less likely to salt away cash in savings accounts but instead spend it often locally and quickly) be given additional cash in universal income because it has this stimulus on the economy. Instead we as a society seem cool with just letting it sit in the vast bank accounts of the super rich.

@Eealoty

To anyone thinking other countries have it worse in Europe. There are indeed deeper issues at hand here in the UK. It's a rotten mentality we have. Have you visited an Eastern European country in recent years (I'm not even talking about Nordic). Romania, Poland? It was beautiful. Well kept little towns on cobbled streets with civilised restaurants.. filled with locals. No drunks falling around everywhere. NO homeless. No crass behaviour around. That was my experience of a visit - off the beaten track - in an "eastern bloc" country. However, . .. Keep believing the British exceptionalism is real. It's what everyone goes back to when the media leaves out any other narrative.

Have you been to Eastern Poland? It's derelict with drunks roaming round the streets. Visit Lancut next time you go.

@JayAlfredPrufrock

High skills high wages high cost of living.

See Norway.

You forgot to add - high standard of living.

You get what you pay for. Quality of life is far higher in Norway.

Good healthcare system in Norway too.

It's not just the UK it's everywhere...it's life, let's all just do our best and deal with it.

[quote bozzabollix]@AlexaShutUp if there’s a high wage economy it has a stimulating effect on the economy too, ie more demand as people have money to spend, which in turn creates new jobs, there’s an argument to be had that the lowest paid (who are less likely to salt away cash in savings accounts but instead spend it often locally and quickly) be given additional cash in universal income because it has this stimulus on the economy. Instead we as a society seem cool with just letting it sit in the vast bank accounts of the super rich.[/quote]
This.

This was all inevitable with Brexit. It’s just that Covid came along and made things worse.

@summercupcake

It's not just the UK it's everywhere...it's life, let's all just do our best and deal with it.

Ridiculous and privileged comment!

@Tealightsandd

Smoking is the answer. Stress relief (much needed for so many) and economy boosting (massive tax income + huge savings on pensions and social care). Add in cake and booze, and we'll getting there.

Sounds like a plan 😂

[quote bozzabollix]@AlexaShutUp if there’s a high wage economy it has a stimulating effect on the economy too, ie more demand as people have money to spend, which in turn creates new jobs, there’s an argument to be had that the lowest paid (who are less likely to salt away cash in savings accounts but instead spend it often locally and quickly) be given additional cash in universal income because it has this stimulus on the economy. Instead we as a society seem cool with just letting it sit in the vast bank accounts of the super rich.[/quote]
I completely agree that money going into the economy is important, and I made that point above in connection with the removal of the UC uplift. I am absolutely not arguing in favour of cheap exploitative labour - far from it. I just think it's naive to think that the cost of increased wages for HGV drivers will not be passed directly onto the consumer, and as always, that will hit the very poorest because they will be paying more for food, fuel etc.

@MyPatronusIsACat

Anyone who thinks any other Government would have done better, with Brexit, Covid, lack of lorry drivers, NHS crisis, food shortages, and petrol issues blah blah blah, is utterly deluded.

No other Government would have done any better. Just thank your lucky stars that Jeremy Corbyn lost the election, or you'd have had HIM running the show. THEN you'd have good reason to panic!!!

Such low expectations people have is how they’re able to get away with it. It’s completely hypothetical what Corbyn would have done and irrelevant. I’m not a fan but I’m finding it hard to picture how he (or anyone) would have messed it up more. (Though one benefit would be how the media would have handle it. They be holding him to task.) You shouldn’t get a pass for terrible governance by saying everyone else is worse.

@AlexaShutUp

People talk a lot about the availability of cheap labour suppressing wages. What they seem not to realise is that, if wages are pushed up, we will all pay for it anyway. Companies will pass on their extra costs to consumers, so we won't actually be any better off.

Well it depends how extreme you want to take that- we pay more but perhaps have a smaller UC bill to supplement the working poor, perhaps it will ease the housing crisis - you can’t just ship in a load of cheap Labour to abuse and not expect them to be adequately housed, not expect them to use the nhs; the education system or the social care system.

@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.

Panic’s a little strong... just be glad you’re not in Afghanistan atm

It does suck. DH has wanted to leave for years, but I won't leave my family and everything I know, barring an actual threat to our lives or something, which this isn't as we are quite privileged.

DH did say the other day that he was sorry, but he would be advising our kids to make their lives somewhere else when they finish their education - and you know what, I stand with that. If they can get out while they're young and we're not elderly and hopefully still in good health then that might be easier.

With my mum being in poor health and not likely to live to a very old age, I couldn't really bear to leave with her here - we'd have to move long haul, I think. Plus I'm bad at making friends and I love the art and culture of London, which is not likely to be matched by the places we might consider moving to.

But yes, the Tories have truly trashed this country - there's so much good in it potentially, but they're reducing it to a backwards-looking corrupt, polarised backwater.

It’s awful OP, I wake up early every day in a panic thinking about it. And the worst thing is that I feel so powerless to do anything about it, other than writing to my MP (which is useless, as she only toes the party line).

@OrangeBlossomsinthesun

“ I live in the EU and we don't have fuel or food shortages. Electricity has gone up but not nearly as much as in the UK, for various reasons.”

French resident here and it’s the same for us - energy prices are up a bit but otherwise no obvious shortfalls in places such as supermarkets, DIY stores, etc.

There’s certainly nothing similar to what is being reported/rumoured to be going on in the UK by UK MSM - which I accept may well be an exaggeration.

I am worried. But realistically there is nothing I can do. I am not panicking. Panicking serves no one.

@Hessneakingoutagain

Sooo, if you lived in another country, would you come back to live in the U.K. or stay put?

I live in another country and I'm staying put. This was meant to be a 5 year stint but then Brexit happened and I decided the UK wasn't for me any more.

we pay more but perhaps have a smaller UC bill to supplement the working poor, perhaps it will ease the housing crisis - you can’t just ship in a load of cheap Labour to abuse and not expect them to be adequately housed, not expect them to use the nhs; the education system or the social care system.

All of this.

@Davros

Nah, it's nothing like the 1970s. We had much better clothes and music

And houses were affordable with one person working

I think that if you have money you will be fine. You can pay for private healthcare. Best hope we can stay healthy and fit because getting treatment at the moment is a nightmare. I can’t even get an appointment. I can’t even get anyone to answer the phone at our GP surgery. It’s frightening.

Panic’s a little strong... just be glad you’re not in Afghanistan atm

Aaaaand here we go: the race to the bottom.

@Tealightsandd

we pay more but perhaps have a smaller UC bill to supplement the working poor, perhaps it will ease the housing crisis - you can’t just ship in a load of cheap Labour to abuse and not expect them to be adequately housed, not expect them to use the nhs; the education system or the social care system.

All of this.

What’s the solution to all of those things? Is it Brexit?

I don’t understand the bashing of Jeremy Corbyn here

It happens every time you point out Tory mismanagement and Johnson's inadequacy as a PM. It's irrelevant as Corbyn is not, nor ever has been the PM of the UK.

We are reaping the mess Johnson and the Tories have sown. Johnson has been AWOL every time their is a national emergency of any kind as have several of his ministers. It's unbelievable that such an irresponsible and incompetent set of jackasses got voted in.