To be fed up of living in the U.K. but have no other options?

[Cuppasoupmonster]

☹️

Anyone else?

@Tabbouleh Thankyou - I think we forget the good things that we have and take for granted (and hopefully will continue to have if politicians stop tinkering).

unfortunately I don’t have much to offer the uk let alone anywhere else but after visiting other countries I’m actually proud to be British. Witnessing the racism, sexism and general rudeness from other nationalities in their country I realise that overall we are a tolerant and polite nation. That might seem a sweeping statement but it really is my experience a vast majority of the time when I’ve visited abroad. I really don’t get all the hate for the uk and being British I guess it’s just in trend to be unpatriotic.

Unless this fantastic career is being a member of the royal family, I don't see why it wouldn't work elsewhere.

Maybe some retraining in specific aspects of it, depending on what it is, but I doubt it's so unique that it only exists in the UK. Also, there's lots of ways you could retrain into other careers - e.g. teaching English as a foreign language, or copywriting, that lots of English native speakers fall into while abroad.

Why OP?
I'm in London and love it here, yes it's expensive, but it's also a truly global city full of opportunities and many interesting people from all over the world. My husband isn't British and has thrived here it's interesting getting his perspective as a foreigner. Why not move to another part of the U.K. instead? The state of the politics here is a mess but we have a lot going for us too. I'm not sure where it is that you want to go but all wealthy western countries have their issues. Maybe try looking it things through a new more positive lens and opportunities will come your way?

Me, DH is retired and I'm currently a carer. We wanted to retire abroad but that's off the cards now

I feel the same way about London. Life would probably be easier elsewhere. But this is the most exciting city in the world. I could never get bored of it and the many free things my home country lacks: museums, libraries, parks, architecture....

Speaking from relative privilege of course. I am not queuing at food banks. But am not Sunak either.

Seriously considering this!

This is a refreshingly helpful and positive post. Nice to read. And reinforces my plan of moving to Ireland.

Thanks lovely

Another key thing for Ireland is that if it all goes pear shaped the standard weekly benift payment is 203 euros . You have to have been resident for 161 days to qualify.
Property is much cheaper , council tax is 100 per year.

@Babasghost I'm loving that your quality of life is higher in a place with those specific national pastimes 😁

(This is not a dig, it just amused me).

If you have not clear and focused idea about which country you want to move to, you are just making a vague and lazy whinge about the UK. I find that hard to take seriously. I wonder how much specific information you have about living 'abroad'?

This cry 'The UK is finished!' has been going on for decades and perhaps longer. I remember my cousin's horrible, philistine husband holding forth on this very subject in the 70s. He was off to Australia!! Great - you go, mate, and good riddance! Sadly, she hated it and felt as though she was in exile for the lovely green English countryside for the rest of her life.

I'm just so amazed at the number of people who seem to hate this country - I just don't get it. It's beautiful, comparatively tolerant, full of amazing individuals, innovative in music, fashion, architecture, drama, literature - even food nowadays. Perhaps they have no cultural knowledge or interest?? That's the only reason I can think of. Is it just sunshine they want? I think there might be more of that coming than we need....

So please - all you UK haters, get on that plane/boat and fulfil your fantasies. You won't be missed!!

I feel the same. We have transferable skills in desirable areas but we can’t move anywhere due to DH’s medical condition 😢 even though we’d need private insurance anyway. Nowhere will take us.

Did you miss the part where OP said she just wanted a little moan.
Or that several people have said they have tried and exhausted all options and are stuck here. If it were that easy to just hop on a plane they obviously would.

Yep - I’m another one who doesn’t get the hate for the Uk. It’s a great country, I’ve lived away for many many years and am always pleasantly surprised at how nice it is to get home. Of course it has its issues, everywhere does. I’d love to come home.

Probably not for much longer if this government continues the way they are!

Absolutely, the current government and in particular Boris ,has done more for Scottish independence than Mel Gibson !

@CulturePigeon maybe because some of us live in places that don’t have all that? I used to live in the Home Counties; small ‘naice’ town to start with, then by the coast, then a bigger not-so-nice town. Loved it! Could get to London really easily (and free, I worked for a rail company), no worries about last trains home, could visit other towns and cities free or very cheaply, museums, concerts, hairdressers/beauticians that cater to working people and actually open past 5pm.

5 years ago I was made redundant and we (DH - we met at work) came back to live on my hometown….and it’s shit. There are no jobs, apart from zero hour, min wage warehouse/care/retail. Nothing with any progression. The town centre is horrible; full of drunks and drug users all the time. No decent shops, only had Debenhams of the ‘big’ retailers and that, of course, is now gone. H&M closed a few weeks ago. The weather is generally crap too.

They tried a food market thing in the market square a few years ago near Christmas, very unsuccessful as everyone moaned it was too dear and they could get 2 sausage rolls for £1 🙄so why shop there.

I have a decent job (considering I don’t have many qualifications) but my industry is going through a lot of changes and I don’t know if/how it will affect me. I can only afford things now as DH had a good wage and now has a good pension. I honestly don’t know where I could work/what I would do if I was made redundant again. I’m 95% sure we’d have to move.

If I could, I’d love to emigrate but I don’t have any in-demand/specialist skills.

I live in what a lot of people would deem a nice town and I still just saw some crazy arsed teenage girl assault a man.

There are no prospects here for the average working class person. No social mobility and its no wonder people are fed up. Crime is only going to increase. The housing system is back to front. We have old people rattling around in four bedroom houses and families of five in two bed flats and paying a very high price for the privilege. This country just doesn't make sense. I think that is the hard part. It would be a decent place otherwise.

I think that over the past few years we have battered hard by Brexit, Covid, severalTory governments who seem to only care about the wealthy few and now the cost of living crisis.

I think it is perfectly normal to want to escape all of this doom and gloom.

I have decided that living in London is no longer for me and the noise, pollution, overcrowding and anti-social behaviour is affecting my quality of life in a way that I can no longer justify.

So I have sold my property recently and I am now planning to move somewhere quieter and more affordable. I also opted out of the rat race and only work part-time and remotely.

I am still trying to stay in the South East as I still want to enjoy the culture and excitement of London now and then but if I am honest I am also tempted to pack all my stuff in a van and move to Scotland for a completely new start.

I found people much friendlier there and I really long for a more socially-minded government that does not exist just to service bankers and hedge funds managers as well a cheaper cost of living.

@BooksAndChooks
''Also curious about people moving to Ireland and Scotland. I don't mean this in a cheeky way, but what is the draw? I'm just curious''

Scotland: I think for me it is the countryside (green, wild, just beautiful), I also love some of the coastal villages and small towns. Less much crowded than England, more of a socialist government (and a blissful lack of Tories...) and I just find people friendlier and more welcoming. Plus I am really not a fan of the temperatures we got in the South East this year due to global warming.

Ireland: again beautiful scenery, no Tories and friendly people.

Thanks to all who replied to me. I live in NI. So I understand how more greenery and rain can have its appeal.

I was going to suggest live in the Republic and work in the North, easily commutable.

But Ireland has its own set of issues, different to the UK, not sure if worse or better tbh. I know the ppl in the North don't think all that much of our health service down here, were there to be a reunification of Ireland that would be one sticking point.

Ireland is working on improving the health service, supposedly. But many things just worse because of scale. Hard to find specialists for example, I had to wait many many months to see a specialist (privately!!!)

Another issue is a major housing shortage.

@Rebecca34

I agree. I can't speak for everyone, but certainly even amongst the nationalists iliving in NI that I am familiar with, there would be concern with regards to health provision.

@Babasghost do you mean council tax is cheaper? Or property is cheaper. Property varies where you are, in Dublin it is not cheaper! And lots of people want to live in Dublin.

Also, if you live in Ireland for I think 4 or 5 years you can get an Irish passport. And then move anywhere you want in the EU. (But you possibly won't want to by then!!)