What does this country have going for it? UK

[Haveagentlechristmas]

Sorry if this is a goady thread, but with the awful weather we have had for weeks, the astronomical electricity prices, the uncaring and mismanaging government, an NHS that is absolutely crumbling despite those working in it giving their body and soul to the job, locked down borders where we can no longer as easily work, travel and live in 20 something countries, could people please help with positives of this country. I'm feeling like all my pride and patriotism has vanished.

I agree!

Two things about the UK that have always stuck with me:

I returned from six months in (supposedly) the most beautiful Northern California countryside in early September a decade ago.

My mum picked me up from the airport and we drove home through a long country route. I was gobsmacked at how much more beautiful it was than California.

A US cousin visited a couple of years later, and we took her to a country pub. It took us under 30 minutes from our city and my cousin was amazed at the strict delineation between town and country. She lives in a lovely area, but said that the lack of planning rules mean that each city has an urban sprawl that goes on for miles, and it takes literally ages to reach proper countryside.

I'm with you on this. Also fantastic live music from stadiums to small venues (which I hope don't disappear) /an appreciation of amateur musicians and also some great radio which supports new bands and artists etc.

No other country has pubs. Bars yes, but that’s not the same thing.

but agree many people are over hyping the U.K. good good? Yes if you like your food swimming in grease and fat. The U.K. has good restaurants, but a random pick has a high chance to be awful

countryside is arguably better due to our unique public right of way network

free health yes, but poor outcomes compared to comparable Western European countries.

trains are awful here too!

My guess is that about 75% of the worlds population would choose to swap their lives for the life of an average UK person in a heartbeat.

Being born in the UK you have genuinely won at the lottery of life, even if sometimes it feels miserable.

If you don't believe this I'd suggest a month long visit to one of the many slums around the world to see how most of the rest of the world lives.

This.

The uk has it's faults, and the current government are doing their very best to make those faults much worse, but if you travel to any great extent you quickly realise that the lifestyle that most people take for granted in the UK is very much NOT the norm.

Silly comparison. A more relevant one would be Germany, France, Sweden etc!

I think our reasonably priced food is pretty good. And absolutely shit tons of healthy stuff, vegan, etc available pretty much everywhere now.

In France in the summer the food options were both meat heavy (no good for me) and extortionate.

Why is it only relevant to compare your QOL to that of a person in a country of similar standard ?

Why should everywhere else be ignored ?

The world has about 8 billion people in it, and about 200 countries. Your or I could have been born in any one of them.

The PP is correct in the respect that the vast majority of people have not experienced the grinding poverty that most of the worlds population lives in. That's because most peoples idea of "knowing about the world" is to go to a tourist destination and stay in a 3-4 star hotel or a beach resort, or travel about for a bit for a couple of weeks to see some ruins and then high tail it back to the UK. And from that they "know" what the rest of the world is like and that the UK is rubbish.

Generally people in the UK have absolutely no idea whatsoever how difficult it is to eek out a living in a large fraction of the worlds countries. They have little appreciation of how good life is here and how miserable it can be in other places.

I think it’s silly because it’s not hard for thus country to better than a third world slum. We should instead ask why quality of life is better in comparable Western European countries. Not just say at least we don’t live in a slum!

This!

yes our living standards have deteriorated - like the rest of the world

but the uk comes into its own when you compare it to many other countries - we have a high gdp and we are on the world stage, an nhs, free education, tons of history and culture, we are a tolerant society on the whole, comparatively low violent crime rate, follow the rule of law, English speaking which we take for granted but makes a lot of things easier. We are really quite lucky overall.

Which other country is preferable to the uk in your view?

Way to miss the point.

but the uk comes into its own when you compare it to many other countries - we have a high gdp and we are on the world stage, an nhs, free education, tons of history and culture, we are a tolerant society on the whole, comparatively low violent crime rate, follow the rule of law

Applies to pretty much any developed country....

Maybe you can name any EU country that has 500 people a week dying from a lack of healthcare?

I think its quite telling that poster after poster compares us to developing countries and dictatorships.

We've a lot going for us but ignoring the flaws or glossing over them, will not address the areas in which we need to improve.

@Alexandra2001
Germany is one. Info provided by
Eurostats October 22

I moved to France and it is the best move I ever made. Came back to the UK last November for a quick visit and to be honest, if it wasn’t for seeing family and friends, I would have turned straight around and got back on the train to France

What was that about gdp? Even Russia is predicted better growth than us!!

Whereabouts do they live?

Well I’m Canadian and love Canada, wouldn’t live anywhere else but no one can write a mystery story like the British. Your tv mystery shows are also great. I love Vera.

I live in Spain and would have never DREAMED I'd write this sentence, but oh my goodness what I would give to do an HMRC tax return...

This is still the best country in the world 🌎 I think.temperate climate .beautiful countryside. Stunning historic sites .nhs is still there for us.payment's to people who are poor.maybe live in us for a while see how you get on over there op

Usa I mean

A safe country with family and friends...the weather is improving...I saw snowdrops at the weekend.....nothing bets England in the spring....the lambs and the fresh smell of spring and the colour s of spring... Bluebells be here soon....

Well many of the posters on here are from the UK and we’re all awesome 😎 so there’s that.

The UK is a dangerous place to be. Accessing medical care is almost impossible.

I regret leaving over Brexit. It may be safer, cleaner and more comfortable over here in Europe, but no one understands my self-deprecating sense of humour.

The best football league in the world which really puts us on the map and brings a lot of money to the UK.