To not feel proud of my country at the moment?

[Livingtothefull]

I really want to be proud - there are plenty of things to be proud of in the UK (great people/culture/heritage) - but the way we are governed at the moment just sickens me.

We have a liar and a criminal as Prime Minister, I can't bear the sight or sound of him now. 'Partygate' showed us just how much contempt he has for the British public. People are facing huge cost of living rises and poverty, and the Government offered nothing to help address this in the Queen's speech.

The latest is their proposal to break international law.

By the way the Monarchy was shown up as the useless and empty institution it is through the prorogation of Parliament episode, far from a supposed guardian of democracy. I don't have anything against the RF personally, but as an institution it has presided over all of this and yet has nothing to say about it all.

I am sick of hearing about the Jubilee as well, I see nothing to celebrate in what we have all been through over the past couple of years and are facing now. 'Rich privileged woman lives a long time' does not mean anything imo, in the context of the huge numbers of people who have died before their time due to Covid. Many of them elderly and vulnerable people in care homes - where the Government has recently been found (again) to have broken the law by putting them in harm's way.

Yes but at least we have free healthcare and dentists. Many countries don't.

I feel very lucky to live in Britain. Me and DH work very hard and we do far better than friends in other countries financially due to tax free savings. Food is also incredibly cheap.

I am embarrassed of this government, Brexit, the media and those who believe the lies told to them without question. After the last general election I made the choice to not give politics anymore headspace and stopped buying the paper daily. I have been far happier since I focused on what I can control.

I agree with you OP. When you look at our Prime Minister it's hard not to agree.

I agree OP. We live in one of the richest countries in the world yet our healthcare system is abysmally underfunded, our education system has been dismantled, tampered with and sold off to academy businesses, our mental health services are fractured and diabolical, gambling/drug/alcohol addiction is rife and ignored (promoted even!), the prison service is at breaking point, children's services are totally broken and we can barely even produce our own food.

But hey, God's save the queen, let's put the blinkers on and party.

No chance of seeing an NHS dentist around here, we had to go private years ago.

You're not wrong OP, but that won't stop a load of Tory apologists hijacking your thread by implying you're an unreasonable, ungrateful wretch.

They'll also be selling plastic union jack flags from the sidelines of the race to the bottom. (Made in China, natch.)

I'm with you OP, and we have to add rape suspect to Westminster now, too. Brexit has been outed for the crap lies it really was, which depressingly a lot of people saw coming (but couldn't stop). We will be living with that damage for generations. Frightening energy costs, people can't afford to eat, and refugees get packed off to Rwanda. The whole thing is a joke. Reading this post back I almost can't believe what I just wrote. A very sad state of affairs.

I don't have anything against the RF personally, but as an institution it has presided over all of this and yet has nothing to say about it all.

Jesus wept, how can anyone be so ignorant about the constitution of the country they live in?

We have a constitutional monarchy FFS! The Queen reigns but she doesn’t rule - the decisions are made by the democratically elected political party (i.e. the party that was voted into power…following the general election??)

Seriously, educate yourself 😳

The UK is a shit show these days. It would be hilarious if I didn’t live here. Unfortunately, I’m stuck here for the foreseeable. Still, at least we have Great British BaKe Off and the Coronation to look forward to. Bread and circuses, eh?

Are all the happier people I see irl in this group these days?

or just normal people not as angry as this

And of our princes (non sweating. Enjoys a pizza) is accused of being a pedo. So there’s that.

op, have your moan
But I wouldnt have put it in AIBU
Chat would have been better

I agree, alongside fury sadness is what I feel. It’s sad the sheer amount of damage that has been done to our public services, but also to our reputation. Is this who we really are as a nation? I really hope not.

I agree with all of this. As for free dental care, it's mission impossible to get an NHS dentist and even then it's not free. We are having to save up for DH's much needed dental treatment. It's going to cost a couple of thousand.

I love Great Britain and will always be grateful for its help when myself and my family needed it. 🇬🇧

Had a letter from my nhs dentist last month telling me they were no longer providing nhs dentistry as the nhs didn’t pay them enough and young dentists no longer want to do nhs dentistry for the same reason. Phoned round every dentist in my city. One put me on a waiting list, all the rest not taking new nhs patients. Now have no dentist for the first time in 60 years. Under this government and to a lesser extent, Tony Blair’s too, we are losing things that made us feel safe and proud we lived in a country that cared for and invested in its citizens. I had free university education, the ability to buy a home and run it on one ordinary wage, Legal aid if I was wronged, union protected workers rights and a decent works pension. Why have we been persuaded that losing all these rights are progress?

I agree with you. I love many things about the U.K. but god it's a mess right now. Hard to take anyone seriously who argues that it's not.

I live in the EU now and while we've got just as bad a problem with inflation, the energy cost increases are much lower, healthcare is functioning well, public services are well maintained, schools aren't crumbling, trains run on time, and the town centres are still vibrant places full of local and independent shops and cafes/ restaurants.

I've been shocked on my last few visits to the U.K. how bad things have got. The current excuse for a government is corrupt and incompetent, and it's beyond me how people can keep voting for them.

Absolutely flabbergasted by how many privileged royalists are in this thread

No wonder no substantial progress is made in reducing inequality when such a vast percentage of brits are happy with the status quo

It's not free. We pay for it with our taxes. Its 'free at the point of service'. Everyone who works pays for it this way so that those less well off aren't left out. In countries that have health services based on insurance, the poor don't get treated, they suffer and die.

Our NHS IS not free. The government are underfunding it with money we give them to fund it. They spend it on expensive refurbs and subsidised booze in westminister instead.

The Queen reigns but she doesn’t rule

And yet she along with our next royal overlord still successfully contrive to influence legislation that might impact their own comfortable position.

This. I’ve lived in a few countries due to DHs job over the last 7-8 years and honestly no one talks about the UK. We certainly aren’t a laughing stock or feature heavily on the news.

And so has everybody else at one time or another. There are many aspects of our culture and heritage to be proud of eg billions of lives the world over saved through medical and scientific advances. The art, music and architecture, the magna carta - on which modern democracy is based. Sick to the back teeth of everyone moaning about historical wrongs. All countries are guilty. We just kept better records!

im a bit WTF about Prince Andrew being at the garden party today.

I’ll be celebrating the jubilee. I’ll be celebrating the Queen and an age and way of doing things which I think is sadly changing for the worse.
An age of selflessness, devotion to duty, faith, stoicism and pride in what we have achieved as a country. I think she is an extraordinary lady and I have the deepest respect for her and the way she has lived her life.
I have lived abroad in many different countries (including Russia) and I’m proud of many British things which are taken for granted here, including our impartial judicial system, our tolerance, our welfare state, NHS, free education and…our Queen.

Totally agree OP. That clown and his sycophants that are governing the country are the worst we have ever had.