Talk me down - is this country really so bad?

[BluePassportsAreBollocks]

I’m a long time MN user, NC for this.

Anyway, I’m really down about what our country has become. I’m Scottish but live in England, so much of what I’m saying relates to England but Scotland is just as bad if not worse whenever I go back (before anyone comes along and tells me that it’s all rainbows and unicorns elsewhere!).

The quality of our public services is pitiful. You can’t get a doctors appt, mental health support non existent, hospital backlogs, social care on its knees, schools underperforming, staff in every public sector unhappy and considering going on strike, huge wealth inequalities, huge health inequalities, outrageous profiteering by private companies exploiting the rise in inflation for their own gain (energy, fuel, food, travel), companies cutting their customer service to a shoestring level where it takes 45 mins for someone to pick the phone up only to tell you to use the online contact form, customer service in general appalling and delivered by people who just don’t care, continued and endless political divisions forced upon us and tearing people apart (divide and rule… brexit, boris, scexit, covid), no reply for days and weeks for administrative services like passports, overcrowded public transport, completely unattainable house prices, exorbitant cost of childcare, everything about parenting is a completion, I could go on and on.

I am genuinely thinking of looking for work abroad. But before I do, can someone please tell me…

1. Are things really as bad as they feel here compared to other peer countries (if so which)? Is it that we are living in a bubble and I’m not grateful enough for the things that work? Yes I appreciate the rights and human rights we have, but even they are being trashed as we speak.

2. If I could move anywhere in the world where stuff just worked, where would I’d be and why??

Every country is having its own problems. I was just in the Netherlands, they have the same travel issues we have. Short staff or striking staff causing huge airport queues, buses running late, domestic trains being cancelled

Alot of countries seeing cost of living going up.

I'm in Scotland. In the last 2 years I have had 3x required medical investigations. On each occasion, I had a GP appointment within 48 hours and hospital test same day, within 3 days and within a week. I think that's a great service

I have been on holiday to Norway, toured quite a lot of the country. It’s beautiful- the scenery is outstanding. Otherwise it’s really quite boring and homogeneous. In winter months it’s even more boring. I found Netherlands similarly boring and from friends in New Zealand, also quite boring unless you’re mad keen on outdoor activities and sports.

It’s not for me. I couldn’t give up the diversity and complexity of life in the U.K. for what looks to be a better life on paper.

Also, the people living in Scandanavian countries are shit scared of what Putin might do next, especially Finland and Sweden. Feeling safe should not be underrated when considering where you want to live!

I disagree there is a mass cap doffing attitude, more that people have been groomed since the 80s into a winners and whiners narrative and divided by a
Top Trumps of disaffection and desperation which has basically neutered the Left's response to the neo liberal global economic paradigm.

If i were a low earner i would never ever want to live in a country like Switzerland. A happy meal costs £6.5+. An hour of nursery costs £13.5+. Food prices are 3 times as much as in the UK in the shops. A 100ml glass of house wine costs £5+ in a cheap bar / restaurant. You still need to pay your medical insurance which is either hefty itself or has a hefty exceed when you claim. I had British friends who worked in pubs here who didn't have insurance. They said if they get sick they would just go back to the uk. Taxes are low but if you are on like £40/50k you are not actually taking home that much more than in the UK in many cantons. I recently read a story in the local paper how a guy in his late 20s working 80% on about £50k could not afford to eat.
Quality of life is great for those who earn enough or many locals i know who manage to live in grand/parents house rent free (also included in family insurance plan & little spend on food/bills). Not so peachy for the rest.

I always find it really interesting on threads like this how much is really very similar among the western type countries.

Of course we are all seeing gas and food prices rise and inflation general. Pretty much all have stagnant wages for the lower and maybe middle classes.

And for a lot of them there are housing problems, in many there are a lot of jobs going unfilled, a lot have issues with infrastructure.

There are a few that seem common to the English speaking countries, serious problems in education being one and actually seems like it might be best overall in the UK, problems with the medical systems, among other things.

It tends to make me think that a lot of the problems are bigger than a nation. Not that the national governemnts have no power, but there are bigger forces at work. For example I notice that the educational stuff seems to be spread through a similar ideology being promoted, a similar tendency to send kids to school early for example. Many of the places that have avoided more of these issues are smaller and more insular, so maybe they are protected somewhat?

I would probably say Switzerland, Luxembourg or maybe Norway if you can stand the cold are the only 3 countries I would consider. Well one does need to be earning a lot to make it actually possible to relocate to these countries.

Good posts in general, but this too. What your income is matters and chances are if you can afford to relocate to Switzerland you are appreciating what U.K. offers well - education, cultural stuff, sporting, music, food etc

What darling dodo said.
Everyone everywhere has a gripe, USA is really in the pits at the moment.
Biden isn't the golden ticket people thought he would be, their economy is in crisis, inflation, Wade etc the war with Ukraine etc.

As she said France was on a knife edge with le pen,they have a whole range of issues.
People forget how bad the Jilet jaune riot's were!

It's not great here op but we've had to deal with one thing after another and unfortunately,we would be in recovery now after COVID and bastard evil Putin has ruined that for everyone around the world.

It's not just covid & Putin, Brexit has had an huge impact.

And will still have the legacy of the 08 crash

So true Summer imo we have found out the luxury of the Covid response was not that affordable now Putin is damaging everyone, Ukraine the hardest but the world too.

That one person can do this is maddening, scary and awful for people in Ukraine, and difficult for others

Spot on! We miss going to a proper football game. There's no cricket or rugby here. Museums are in general rubbish & expensive. There are so many gigs going on in the uk & shows in the theatre. And of course the food! We do need to go back to the uk 3/4 times a year so we don't go insane. Lockdown was tough..

I still think our health and welfare system is second to none.

A friend in the US said recently that the opioid crisis there is caused mainly by most people not being able to afford the level of health insurance that would get them treatment, so all they end up affording are strong, highly addictive pain killers.

I still think our health and welfare system is second to none.

With child poverty at 30% I'd like to think we could do better.

Just out of interest do you travel much? I ask because when you have experienced a really good health system, you realise how absolutely shit the UK is, and how left behind it is, not just in outcomes, but in waiting times, quality of treatment, and general availability.

Are you directing that question at me? I was responding do the point that our healthcare is second to none.

Because I'm a 2nd gen immigrant I have experience of other countries health systems & wouldn't say ours is the best.

Because I'm a 2nd gen immigrant I have experience of other countries health systems & wouldn't say ours is the best

hatchyu are the health systems you think better free at point of delivery?

Good for your, but it's obviously not the same for everyone, is it? Your post is very" I'm all right Jack".
Would you like to wait 2 years for a hip operation?
Would you like to listen to oncologists in Wales saying people are terminal by the time they get to see them?

Cancer survival is complex, and not as straightforward as poor survival compared to other countries = NHS is shit. Our population is considerably fatter than many parts of Europe, and men in particular do not look after their health here and so don’t present with symptoms until past the point where treatment would be curative.

That isn’t necessarily a problem with the NHS, more a problem with our culture as a whole.

@Southwestten I favour the French system. I believe those on low incomes are able to access it.

Hatchyu thank you for answering my question.

for free - I left out that bit!

DH and I have both had cancer investigations in mainland europe. They have all been without delay following a visit to the GP - next day scans several times, and procedures done within a couple of weeks. Results are always given on the day, including CTs and MRIs. Speedy investigation to exclude or confirm cancer is the norm. Fast diagnosis and treatment improves outcomes.

Obesity in itself is a failure of public health (although no longer a function of the NHS).

This is fascinating, I'm loving reading everyone's POV from overseas as well as here x

The NHS has stopped working for me in central London for non-urgent care. I am flying to my "third world" homeland to have private specialist care and possibly surgery. My British friends think I am mad, but I can actually get far better and cheaper private health care there than in the UK, as long as I am prepared to pay.