Page 9 | Are things in the UK really that bad?

Fordian · 04/01/2023 18:59

"The advantages of elsewhere in Western Europe is that their governments aren’t by and large ideologically driven to making things even worse than they needed to be (the Tory masterplans of slowing economic growth and wrecking public services with austerity, and then further crippling the economy with Brexit) … "

This ^^

Our government has been wildly emboldened by the success of the Brexit- who knew how gullible the English public could be? Thus they're audaciously pushing boundaries that would have been unthinkable 6 years ago. Because they're pretty sure they'll get away with it. And they are.

Expect far worse over the final couple of years of this shower as they desperately, against a ticking clock- seek to enrich themselves and their mates before the age falls on them, too.

Mezmer · 04/01/2023 19:02

kimshi · 04/01/2023 18:55

Yes, the UK is in a dreadful state at present. Most people seem to realise this, even if they are not currently affected because they are wealthy/ healthy, etc

In a dreadful state compared to usual. But not compared to the rest of the world, which is also struggling.

we have had it easy for so long compared to the rest of the world that we can afford to drop quite far before we are comparatively below par.

Original poster

namechange10022002 · 04/01/2023 19:02

@healthadvice123 That’s my question. People are making it sound like everyone is really struggling, I’m trying to get an idea of whether that would include people like us on a relatively high income.

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Angeldelight81 · 04/01/2023 19:04

No, they really arent. I’ve had a pay rise which exceeds all rises in fuel, food and potential mortgage in a few years time. As long as you’re sensible and are planning ahead it’s business as usual.

socialmedia23 · 04/01/2023 19:07

SofiaSoFar · 04/01/2023 18:58

With all due respect, which other of the world's major capital cities would you fare better in on a below average salary?

Or are you meaning you'd be paid more elsewhere (which is obviously quite possible)?

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Assuming @MotherOfRatios is a British citizen. In Singapore, as a citizen or permanent resident, she can buy a 2 bedroom apartment from the government with her partner for the sum of 180k SGD (110GBP) with a 5% deposit. If she can stretch to 300k SGD, she can buy a 3 bedroom 90 sq metre flat. Meanwhile, buying a flat on the private market is 900k for a 2 bed , so you get a discount of 80% by buying from the government. A teacher in Singapore can easily afford this; i have two cousins who are teachers and they are both home owners. the home ownership rate is 89%.

I used to live in Germany too, they have long term rentals so rental is a good option if you can't afford to buy.

I am a Londoner too, i bought a 2 bed flat in z3 for 392k with my DH when I was on less than what @MotherOfRatios earned in 2019. the difference was that my DH earned much more so we were on combined wages of 70k. We also lived rent free for three years and that helped us save. DH was on free school meals growing up but his mum was an immigrant too and bought a house in London when it was cheap. But i do agree that it is unnecessarily hard, I couldn't believe that I was expected to buy on the private market!

kimshi · 04/01/2023 19:08

Mezmer · 04/01/2023 19:02

In a dreadful state compared to usual. But not compared to the rest of the world, which is also struggling.

we have had it easy for so long compared to the rest of the world that we can afford to drop quite far before we are comparatively below par.

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The UK has gone downhill very rapidly and it in a worse state than other comparable countries despite many others also struggling.

Where are you comparing the UK too? Lebanon? Ukraine?

kimshi · 04/01/2023 19:11

'As long as you’re sensible and are planning ahead it’s business as usual.'

Sensible enough not to be poor or even below average, have an accident or become unwell, lose your job, have a disabled child or any other things that happen to people commonly throughout their lives.

You do know that the great majority of people haven't had pay rises that are well in excess of inflation. right?

SofiaSoFar · 04/01/2023 19:15

namechange10022002 · 04/01/2023 19:02

@healthadvice123 That’s my question. People are making it sound like everyone is really struggling, I’m trying to get an idea of whether that would include people like us on a relatively high income.

It's a different world on Mumsnet. If you have a good income - which you will have from you've said - then you'd be fine.

Yes, there are some issues but it's barely noticeable for us, other than what's on the news or written on MN. We probably just save a few hundred less per month due to increased energy bills and other inflation.

The pubs and restaurants are as busy as ever in our area, 2 of our friends are currently building large house extensions and others are refurbishing kitchens and bathrooms, etc. It's still difficult to get builders/trades as they're all busy. Healthcare no worse than it was 5+ years ago - my parents have both used A&E and longer term / outpatient services in the past 2 months with little issue.

All countries are facing energy costs, supply chain issues, population ageing, etc.

I have absolutely no time for the Tories or their corrupt, self-serving policies, and I'm still angry about Brexit, but the UK isn't nearly as bad as you'd think from MN.

Original poster

namechange10022002 · 04/01/2023 19:15

@TakeYourFinalPosition Where did you move back from?

We’re in Quebec. As much as I have complained about having to live here, we are lucky to have a beautiful home, an OK car, private healthcare and dental, high quality daycare with class sizes of about 8 kids or fewer, that only costs about £27 per week per kid. I’ve heard the healthcare system here is overwhelmed but I haven’t experienced it for myself.

I want to move back to England for many reasons like family and also I just love the culture and the countryside and London, etc. but perhaps I should wait.

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DonnaBanana · 04/01/2023 19:15

It is being overegged a lot. People are still here, still getting on with things, having holidays, going to school, going to work. Belts are tightened a bit due to increasing energy costs but it's hardly like life has gone down the swanny.

HotChoxs · 04/01/2023 19:16

kimshi · 04/01/2023 19:11

'As long as you’re sensible and are planning ahead it’s business as usual.'

Sensible enough not to be poor or even below average, have an accident or become unwell, lose your job, have a disabled child or any other things that happen to people commonly throughout their lives.

You do know that the great majority of people haven't had pay rises that are well in excess of inflation. right?

This was my point. I don't even need to work but somehow the idea that just because my own personal financial situation is fine and dandy means i'm personally unaffected by all this is pretty nonsensical.

Judelawsnanny · 04/01/2023 19:18

namechange10022002 · 04/01/2023 19:15

@TakeYourFinalPosition Where did you move back from?

We’re in Quebec. As much as I have complained about having to live here, we are lucky to have a beautiful home, an OK car, private healthcare and dental, high quality daycare with class sizes of about 8 kids or fewer, that only costs about £27 per week per kid. I’ve heard the healthcare system here is overwhelmed but I haven’t experienced it for myself.

I want to move back to England for many reasons like family and also I just love the culture and the countryside and London, etc. but perhaps I should wait.

The culture, London and the Countryside are still all here and lovely as ever

kimshi · 04/01/2023 19:19

HotChoxs · 04/01/2023 19:16

This was my point. I don't even need to work but somehow the idea that just because my own personal financial situation is fine and dandy means i'm personally unaffected by all this is pretty nonsensical.

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I agree (and said so above). Obviously, some people are far more personally affected than others (the wealthy, healthy ones!) but most people are aware and concerned. I would say that a relatively small percentage don't notice anything at all. Sadly our PM is one of them.

socialmedia23 · 04/01/2023 19:20

namechange10022002 · 04/01/2023 15:28

I’ve been living overseas for about seven years and I am lucky to have a very safe, easy, comfortable life here but for various reasons I really want to move back home to England. However I keep hearing about how bad the situation is over there, with the cost of living crisis, housing, energy bills, health service, etc. For example I was watching Triggernometry and the hosts were saying the next few years are going to be extremely difficult for everyone there. I was just wondering, is it really as bad as they say? If you never watched or read the news or looked at social media, would you notice the difference in your quality of life? What is the general feeling on the ground, so to speak?

I guess I just want to know if it would be a mistake to move back there.

Our combined income is 110k. We do live in London and pay a mortgage on a 2 bed flat. I was looking at whether we can afford to have a baby as well as move to a bigger flat. Consensus on mumsnet was that my income is a bit on the low side for London (for a small family) but I could make it work. Would not be starving but wouldn't be comfortable either. would definitely have to increase earnings in the long term.

Thats the thing in the UK- there are a lot of poor people so you feel guilty about whinging when there are so many people who are worse off/have lower incomes than you. including friends who you thought would earn more than you as they seem to be in good public sector jobs and have a bigger house than you (but it turns out that they only own the house because the DH is really old and bought his flat 20 years ago). However, there are also lots of rich people so you would feel like a pauper next to them.

StridTheKiller · 04/01/2023 19:23

Went to Sheffield this weekend, it is now an utter dump; closed down shops all over the place, homeless/beggars in every shop doorway. Also rare to hearEnglish as you walk round. It was like a foreign country.
Awful. I won't go back.

Original poster

namechange10022002 · 04/01/2023 19:24

Yes but they’ll also still be there in a year or two when things might have settled down a bit more.

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Obbydoo · 04/01/2023 19:26

It's absolutely fine and in no better or worse position than most countries. Covid and the war in Ukraine are global issues, not specific to the UK. I wonder if all those saying It's a disaster have actually looked beyond our borders and recognised that inflation, interest rates, strikes and cost of living issues are impacting many parts of the world.

MotherOfRatios · 04/01/2023 19:32

socialmedia23 · 04/01/2023 19:07

Assuming @MotherOfRatios is a British citizen. In Singapore, as a citizen or permanent resident, she can buy a 2 bedroom apartment from the government with her partner for the sum of 180k SGD (110GBP) with a 5% deposit. If she can stretch to 300k SGD, she can buy a 3 bedroom 90 sq metre flat. Meanwhile, buying a flat on the private market is 900k for a 2 bed , so you get a discount of 80% by buying from the government. A teacher in Singapore can easily afford this; i have two cousins who are teachers and they are both home owners. the home ownership rate is 89%.

I used to live in Germany too, they have long term rentals so rental is a good option if you can't afford to buy.

I am a Londoner too, i bought a 2 bed flat in z3 for 392k with my DH when I was on less than what @MotherOfRatios earned in 2019. the difference was that my DH earned much more so we were on combined wages of 70k. We also lived rent free for three years and that helped us save. DH was on free school meals growing up but his mum was an immigrant too and bought a house in London when it was cheap. But i do agree that it is unnecessarily hard, I couldn't believe that I was expected to buy on the private market!

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Yes British citizen and my job if I'm in the uk is London based.

Wishiwasincornwall · 04/01/2023 19:32

I finished paying off my car in January last year. I had plans to put that amount straight into savings every month to build up a safety net and put towards a holiday for me and my children for my 40th. That "extra money" has been swallowed up by the cost of living and currently couldn't afford to get passports for us all, let alone a nice holiday.

My daughter has had 3 seperate rounds of blood tests but still not physically seen a doctor. Her referral for peads physio has taken so long that she might get kicked out of the queue and they may need to put in a fresh referral for adult services as she turns 18 in August and might not be seen before then.

The company I work for went into administration and been bought out, we've our hours cut at work and may have to close.

As a single mother on a single income I am terrified.

Fordian · 04/01/2023 19:33

What is Quebec like to live in? Genuinely curious. Are you in a city or in the countryside? Do you need good French?

As you were!

MotherOfRatios · 04/01/2023 19:38

SofiaSoFar · 04/01/2023 18:58

With all due respect, which other of the world's major capital cities would you fare better in on a below average salary?

Or are you meaning you'd be paid more elsewhere (which is obviously quite possible)?

Show quote history

My job is significantly paid more in other countries as I have relatives who can't believe how low my wage is who also do my job in other places.

my rent is £1.2k for a room share that is ludicrous

Yeahrightthen · 04/01/2023 19:44

namechange10022002 · 04/01/2023 19:15

@TakeYourFinalPosition Where did you move back from?

We’re in Quebec. As much as I have complained about having to live here, we are lucky to have a beautiful home, an OK car, private healthcare and dental, high quality daycare with class sizes of about 8 kids or fewer, that only costs about £27 per week per kid. I’ve heard the healthcare system here is overwhelmed but I haven’t experienced it for myself.

I want to move back to England for many reasons like family and also I just love the culture and the countryside and London, etc. but perhaps I should wait.

I would move back whilst your kids are young. It’ll be much harder when they’re older.

Edinburghmusing · 04/01/2023 19:46

@MotherOfRatios you share a room for £1200??

i rent out the flat I used to live in in zone 1 for £1300 Fientje whole thing! One bed flat with a garden.

thst does sound high what you’re paying?

Jacketandbeans · 04/01/2023 19:53

Honestly the doom and gloom I see on Mumsnet and the media no way reflects my experience of day to day life.
Obviously I can see that those on low incomes are very squeezed which is scary, but I'm yet to experience anything major personally.
Our bills have gone up, interest rates have gone up, but it's manageable for us.

I've always been able to get a same day appointment for a very sick child in the last 6 years (3 kids). I got seen within 15 minutes in a walk in centre with my baby who wasn't an emergency 4 weeks ago.
Ambulances have come out quickly for life threatening cases, but there are big delays for non life threatening cases which isn't good and long waits for appointments.

I've heard many horror stories but nothing that's touched us personally so far.
I love living in the UK, we live near a city on the south coast and love the climate, seasons, culture, people. My kids go to good free schools. I wouldnt move.

Original poster

namechange10022002 · 04/01/2023 19:55

@Fordian We're in a city but it's very small and surrounded by mountains, forests and lakes. For most jobs, you do need to speak French pretty well, except perhaps in Montreal. It has its good points (practically no crime, low cost of living, high quality of life, great outdoorsy lifestyle) and its bad points, like anywhere really. Winter is absolutely freezing, obviously, but this one hasn't been too bad so far, and summer is really hot.

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