To think the uk is on its knees

[Ilovemycatalot]

Just this. Every day negativity. No one is happy with life or working conditions. The country is at an all time low. Living standards getting worse by the day people getting poorer. I know we are not in poverty like some countries but honestly can’t see us ever returning to decent living standards unless you’re the few top percent earners. Tell me I’m being dramatic perhaps I am but can’t see much of a way back from this .

@GPTec1 @poetryandwine No biggie, but I'm afraid you're both mistaken. My post on this thread was the 10th one (on the opening page). As I posted before you both, I wasn't citing you, or your figures.

I was merely making a general point that people's perceptions of our difficulties tends towards simplistic magical thinking (like paying nurses £100k) and this is part of the problem. This country isn't rich, we aren't going to magically get richer every year, and soaking wealth creators to pay for public sector workers also won't be the solution. However appealing that might be as a fantasy.

@shropshire11 thanks for the clarification. I have actually never heard anyone suggest that salaries on the order of £100K for British nurses make sense!

FYI today in the Guardian someone from The Institute for Fiscal Studies was quoted saying all teachers and NHS staff could be given pay rises in line with inflation if the temporary reversal of fuel duty were halted. That would raise £6B pa. It was also noted that public sector pay rises are not inflationary, because prices do not have to rise to pay for them

Well that’s simply nonsense.

if you dislike this government and want them out, then the best thing to do is vote for who is statistically more likely to beat the conservatives.
Why wouldn’t you?

The U.K. has "gone past hell in a handcart.." Even Satan said "nope not taking those shysters of the Tories in. "

It's never been this bad even in the 70s. I was a teen then, so remember the talk and discussions.

Not every problem has been caused by Brexit to the poster who says people blame Brexit- however, all our problems are made worse by Brexit

I am very lucky to be one of those who is old enough and well paid enough so that I have been relatively unaffected by the cost of living crisis.
However I work in an area where I see, on a daily basis, the impact of the government’s policies on our society and on the futures of our children and I have never in 30 years of doing my job been more depressed and despondent about our future as a country. It is not about a temporary tightening of belts for a lot of people. It is about the fundamental building blocks which provide them with the opportunity to fulfil their potential and have some joy in their lives being wilfully destroyed by those we elected to manage the country. Instead we have the unedifying spectacle of those in power scrabbling to line their own pockets and do favours to their friend. They cling on despite the fact that everyone knows they are doing absolutely nothing that will be of long term benefit to the rest of us. It is the lack of decency, honesty, empathy and compassion which makes it even harder to bear.
So - I agree. I genuinely do not think that, in the years since I have been an adult, we have had so little to celebrate or be proud of as a nation.
Going forward we must have radical change - FPTP must go in favour of a form of proportional representation. We must centralise funding of political parties to stop the cash for favours culture and the House of Lords should be massively reformed with all the johnny come lately members who have effectively bought their peerage kicked out.

Absolute joke comment (general strike was reported) just compare the UK to everyone else on growth, inflation and GDP and it IS because of Brexit cutting ourselves off from the largest market in the world and on our doorstep

So let’s all go around and tell everyone everything is fine and it will be - ru a Tory MP by chance??

Name those countries and and what basis are you measuring it? Look at Bank of England and IMF

Don't vote Tory ever again! Anyone. I never have.

If it's not mentioned, how do you know about it?
I heard about it on the radio, so it was definitely being brought up in the media

This thread is going to turn into lefty vs right political bashing.

But I agree with you, the UK isn’t doing well. You’re spot on with your feeling.

I travel and also work internationally, I feel our living standards have massively slipped compared to relative countries.

very sad situation really

I was thinking the other day, how we as a country would handle a situation like Ukrainians are! We have no sense of unity and as soon as there's the slightest problem we all start moaning!

The slightest problem? Hardly

The U.K. is at its feet , it’s worse than the 2008 crisis and it will get worse . Brexit was economic suicide , the worst was disguised because of covid but it’s bad . No matter what crisis are on other EU countries it’s not even comparable to how bad things are getting here . Quality of life is the lowest it’s ever been in the last decades

@Fififerry1 beautifully put and I think many of even the better off mumsnetters are sensing it through their own children not being able to buy, scrabbling for rentals, struggling to see Gp in some areas- money can mask a lot of things- but it's at the point that it can't mask everything shit

They were striking over the government wanting to raise the pension age to 64!!

Leedsfan247 Today 17:59
Look at Bank of England and IMF

MannyTeddy · Today 18:01
Don't vote Tory ever again! Anyone. I never have

We were bottom of the pile under Labour -

28 Jan 2009
Britain's economy will be the hardest hit in the developed world in what is expected to be the "deepest recession since the second world war," the International Monetary Fund said today.

www.theguardian.com/business/2009/jan/28/ilo-global-unemployment-to-soar

AllOutofEverything
But the facts are every poll sees Labour way ahead of the Tories in terms of voters intentions

I've just looked at opinion polling for 1990 - 1992. There's hope yet!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_1992_United_Kingdom_general_election

I really agree with you, pretty much the whole world is struggling but no one likes the TORIES so it’s all their fault. I’m praying that Labour won’t get in because I actually care about women’s rights.

Italy and Spain things are fine too. More expensive but no employed people going to foodbanks

beautifulpaintings
It's great being in the EU - a better life. That's the simple fact of it - most posters who moved to the EU and commented on this thread have said the same. You just can't see it because you're blinded by loyalty to the Tories/Brexit, which is sad because both have ruined the UK and neither deserve any loyalty from you, or anyone else

Surely, it depends on who the other posters are - if they are living a comfortable, reasonably well-off life in the EU, then their perceptions of a 'better life' are going to be quite different from someone working as a care assistant in Germany or on the checkout till at SPAR in Spain? Likewise - my perceptions of the UK - living a comfortable, reasonably well-off life in England.

It's great being in the EU - a better life. That's the simple fact of it

“This is hell,” she says. “And this is Spain.”
two years and no power in Europe’s largest shantytown

www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/01/europe-shantytown-canada-real-madrid-spain

@Clavinova obviously people are individuals as I mentioned myself and I also said to you that Europe is a big place so you can't lump everyone in together!

But in our area, using one of your examples, I know two people who work in a local shop (similar to a supermarket, but smaller), they both live in detached houses in a beautiful countryside area, and do their lovely hobbies at weekends. Because you can live on a basic wage here and still have a lovely life as the public services are so great. Old people are very well looked after by the state and everyone gets child benefit without it being a weird or 'on benefits' kind of feeling. Both their kids are at uni with no money worries as unis are free here.

As you say, everyone and every place is different but honestly can you imagine them having that life in the UK? There's no point pretending everywhere in Europe is bad because a lot of Europe is great! And UK would be greater if it was still a part of it.

Sorry, but the ‘echo chamber’ that is Clavinova really makes me smile....

If the measure of a society is how it treats it's weakest people then we are truly at rock bottom.
Hearing today about British Gas breaking into vulnerable people's houses to cut off their power is breaking my heart.
Utilities should not be in private hands. Look at the water companies funnelling billions to their shareholders while filling our waterways with shit.
Instead the blame has been placed on immigrants in an age old distraction technique. And enough people fell for it to bring about Brexit.

beautifulpaintings
But in our area, using one of your examples, I know two people who work in a local shop (similar to a supermarket, but smaller), they both live in detached houses in a beautiful countryside area, and do their lovely hobbies at weekends. Because you can live on a basic wage here and still have a lovely life

Are the people who don't live in detached houses in your country lazy or unlucky? Or does everyone live in a detached house?

I am amazed people think having a general election will improve things! They are all useless tw..s! As for going to live in Spain as someone else mentioned, everyone I know there (married to a Spaniard) have a work contract for a month! Sometimes it’s 2 months! One I know works one year on, one year off … try getting a mortgage on that! There’s plenty of food banks there too, but let’s bash Britain, terrible place ….. not!