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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

UK has gone to shit.

527 replies

Ilovegreentomatoes · 09/10/2021 19:58

What is happening to the uk? No food on the shelves, the cost of living has become extortionate coupled with stagnating wages it seems this is a country where unless your in the higher income bracket you really can't afford to live anymore.
Poverty is going to be rife I dread to think the amount of people who will be choosing between food or heating this year.
Aibu to think this country has gone to shit of the likes we have not seen for a long time.
I am lower income and feel like I can't afford to live anymore.

OP posts:
chugga · 09/10/2021 22:02

[quote Wazzzzzzzup]@chugga apparently that's the right thing to do even if the problem is self inflicted[/quote]
I voted to remain in Britain but I'm all for we can't be demanding if that's what the country voted for. We need to learn to deal with our consequences because everytime something goes to shit are they going to have to bail us out?

User135644 · 09/10/2021 22:03

@ThirdElephant

I think there are teething problems certainly, and COVID definitely hasn't helped matters!

What will make the difference going forward is if we actually force businesses to pay people a fair wage with decent working conditions, or whether the government capitulate to the businesses and allow them to continue to bring in cheap labour from overseas so that they can maximise profits.

It's not that simple though is it when there's a skill shortage. There needs to be a huge up-skill drive, but we're still in the mentality of fucking about at Uni studying for useless degrees. people coming out of Uni in their 20s then see themselves as over qualified to be truck drivers or work in hospitality.
BeardyButton · 09/10/2021 22:03

I left the uk about two years ago after spending about 15 yrs there. I loved living there for the first ten. Then slowly things started to change. Was hard to put finger on at first, jst feeling less and less welcome. Then that brexit vote. I was happy to leave when I did. I don’t know what’s happened...?! I hope things get better.

Wazzzzzzzup · 09/10/2021 22:05

@BeardyButton

I left the uk about two years ago after spending about 15 yrs there. I loved living there for the first ten. Then slowly things started to change. Was hard to put finger on at first, jst feeling less and less welcome. Then that brexit vote. I was happy to leave when I did. I don’t know what’s happened...?! I hope things get better.
I know exactly what you mean about the something you can't put your finger on
Fordian · 09/10/2021 22:05

@BunsyGirl

So, I’m looking at holidays for next year. None of them in the U.K. Prices have increased significantly…is that Brexit?! No!! My three year old car is going up in value rather than down! Great, except that I can’t afford to buy another as they are going up on price too. Is that Brexit, no! There’s a Worldwide shortage of microchips that’s causing problems in the car industry…

Holiday costs going up? Have you checked the exchange rates? Possibly Brexit?... 🤔

wannabebetter · 09/10/2021 22:05

"What will make the difference going forward is if we actually force businesses to pay people a fair wage with decent working condition"

As Boris bleated about this week... but, where is that money supposed to come from? HR in manufacturing here - the projected rise in min wage equates around 6% rise plus our costs are escalating massively - gas 300% electricity 200%, supply issues with electrical components, steel & packaging, logistics costs massively increased... it's a perfect storm which will ultimately lead to the collapse of U.K. manufacturing where businesses will have no choice but to look at relocating to cheaper locations....

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 09/10/2021 22:06

No food on the shelves? Oh, OK, I wasn't aware of that.

BunsyGirl · 09/10/2021 22:07

@wherearemychickens Yes, I know that it fell in 2016. I am talking about price differences from holidays in 2019, pre Covid. Just priced up the exact same holiday that we had in Turkey in October 2019. Was £3.5k. £5.5k for October 2022. This is not about me denying that Brexit has caused problems. It has and I certainly didn’t vote for it. But we have to stop blaming it for all our problems.

User135644 · 09/10/2021 22:07

Why would the tories make businesses do anything they don't want to do? That is the antithesis of the Conservative party

When it suits them. Look at all the bullying and shouting to get people back in offices.

Lightisnotwhite · 09/10/2021 22:08

Thing is, brexiteers would love that. Seeing plucky Boris standing up to the nasty foreigners. Can you imagine the Daily Mail and Express headlines. Honestly, I think some Leave voters won't be happy until we're actually at war and politicians know there's nothing like a war to get people on side.

Sorry but you’re talking shit. It’s embarrassing. You’re supposed to be the ones with critical thinking skills.

DroopyClematis · 09/10/2021 22:09

@BunsyGirl
So you find posts about shortages offensive?!

How offensive is it when I and my local community go to our local supermarket and there is NO bread?

BunsyGirl · 09/10/2021 22:10

@Fordian yes, if you read the thread you will see that I pointed out that the sterling dollar exchange rate was worse in 2019 but holidays were significantly cheaper! It’s not Brexit, you’ve just fallen into the trap of blaming it on Brexit!

BunsyGirl · 09/10/2021 22:12

@DroopyClematis Because food shortages means people going hungry…people in this country are not hungry because of a shortage of food…they are hungry because they can’t afford food…

Roussette · 09/10/2021 22:13

@chugga

Love your long post. So agree

User135644 · 09/10/2021 22:13

Whenever Boris' record gets impossible to defend these fools bring out the JC argument.

It's the only way all these people can justify voting for the Tories. Bringing out the Corbyn argument (or Ed Miliband before that).

They never seem to have a good word to say about the Tories themselves, other than they wouldn't raise my taxes as much.

jgw1 · 09/10/2021 22:14

[quote BunsyGirl]@Fordian yes, if you read the thread you will see that I pointed out that the sterling dollar exchange rate was worse in 2019 but holidays were significantly cheaper! It’s not Brexit, you’ve just fallen into the trap of blaming it on Brexit![/quote]
If its not Brexit is it Jeremy or Kier's fault?

GinPin2 · 09/10/2021 22:14

@Ilovegreentomatoes, there was a lady on the news yesterday who said that she had to wear extra layers now, was turning the heating down, was switching lights off and was only filling the kettle to the amount of water she needed to boil.
I would have thought that this was common sense anyway and was the way that I was brought up, so no doubt you do these things too.
But something new that I discovered recently is Olio, it stops food waste which is brilliant and also provides you with free food, open to anyone - you don't have to be mean tested !!! Smile

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 09/10/2021 22:14

YABU it would be worse with Jeremy Corbyn.

Jesus fucking Christ. Every time. This really is all they have left.

2025: People could be scrapping to the death over a plump rat carcass and a rotten turnip and still someone will yelp 'oh well...things would have been worse if Jezza had won'.

Livelovebehappy · 09/10/2021 22:14

I’m same as someone upthread - live in Yorkshire, and apart from the first day or two of panic buying with fuel, the petrol stations are back to normal. No queuing, no panic buying. Supermarket shelves seem to be fully stocked. But I agree, everything seems so unpredictable atm, and scary. Not sure that anyone else though could do any different/better than Boris. I look at opposition parties, and there’s not one of them i would say is competent enough to run the country. It just feels we have no-one to turn to to resolve anything.

lap90 · 09/10/2021 22:15

It does seem pretty doom and gloom.

I dream about jumping ship myself.

Roussette · 09/10/2021 22:15

Oh yes.

Wheel out JC. Well... how about telling us what is working at the moment?

Where's the benefits of Brexit? Would love to know cos I can't see it and anyone I know who voted for it is back tracking big time and pretending they didn't, because it's all going tits up

LoisWilkers · 09/10/2021 22:16

Brexshit

Annalouisa · 09/10/2021 22:16

@ThirdElephant

I think there are teething problems certainly, and COVID definitely hasn't helped matters!

What will make the difference going forward is if we actually force businesses to pay people a fair wage with decent working conditions, or whether the government capitulate to the businesses and allow them to continue to bring in cheap labour from overseas so that they can maximise profits.

@ThirdElephant, sorry, but in my view, your thinking is not logical.

if we actually force businesses to pay people a fair wage:
who is 'we'? The government, right? How do we force businesses to pay people more? Presumably some sort of increased minimum wage.

Fine, let's say a minimum wage of £15 is introduced (I believe Labour is advocating for this). Who will pay for this additional cost?

Initially, the employers, but eventually the cost gets passed on to customers/consumers.

If the butcher slaughtering pigs for the salami that gets put on your pizza suddenly costs twice as much, and the delivery man gets paid twice as much, then how much more will your pizza cost? Probably more than twice as much.

And if you happen to be the butcher or the pizza delivery person who was initially thrilled to get a higher wage, then you won't be so thrilled once you find that the cost of everything has gone up, too.

And let's ignore that British businesses that cannot pass on the the increased cost might simply go bust, or if they increase their prices, consumers might switch to cheaper products from abroad, and then the businesses go bust at that point.

And if you then lose your job, no one will be forced to pay you anything but Universal Credit, and it seems there are no plans to increase benefits, but if they were increased, it would be you and me paying for it, anyway.

That train of thought ignores that a Tory government is very unlikely to be forcing businesses to increase pay - because you know, you don't bite the hand that feeds you.

User135644 · 09/10/2021 22:17

Yes, I had noticed a growing number of but Keir posts appearing

It's always the same old. They never have a good word to say about the Tories but they simply had to vote Boris as Corbyn would have been so much worse. And they will have to vote Boris again because Keir Starmer will eat my kids.

jgw1 · 09/10/2021 22:17

@Roussette

Oh yes.

Wheel out JC. Well... how about telling us what is working at the moment?

Where's the benefits of Brexit? Would love to know cos I can't see it and anyone I know who voted for it is back tracking big time and pretending they didn't, because it's all going tits up

The benefits of Brexit are obvious. Jacob Rees Mogg and his offshore mates are making millions from it, the plan is going swimmingly.