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 .

Ah yes the media. Always at the root of all our problems. Especially, er, the economy?🙄

Denial, denial, denial. That's why the UK is in such a mess. You can't fix a problem if you refuse to even acknowledge it exists.

Wealth inequality and social mobility are worse now than at any other time

Should we just pretend thats OK because a few middle class I'm alright jsks havent noticed?

I think we've talked ourselves into a malaise. The media is so bloody miserable.

Things aren't that bad.

Not goady- but if it wasn't for the news (or Mumsnet) I wouldn't be any the wiser. Only thing I've noticed is my oil price is higher than 2 years ago and food prices are up. Other utility Bills are no higher. I don't have a mortgage so that's a huge bonus. When I go about my day I don't hear anybody talking about COL and I work in a role where I meet lots of families (in an intimate way where I would refer on to services). My city centre is busy, struggle to get a table for dinner and bars are rammed.

Yes, the media can certainly impact the economy, it holds a huge amount of power, it can drive countries to war - why do you think that global protagonists spend so much time on propaganda etc, plus we now have social media which can easily be penetrated eg by bots to drive public opinion, you are naive to think that the media is not part of it.

Interesting, but you're right about the economy. Just looked it up.

Sweden's economy is expected to shrink by 0.7% in 2023. The UK is expected to shrink by 0.6%.

I think some people seem to love and thrive on doom and gloom.

Things are bad I agree but I tend to be an optimist - this lot wont be in power forever, things will improve - people are generally still good at heart - look at foodbank donations etc

Maybe because I remember the 70's and 80's - threat of nuclear war, strikes, high inflation and unemployment, power cuts, empty shelves, Thatcher! I also remember people helping each other, community groups, collecting food for miners outside Safeway - the world can be shit but that's not a reason for us to be

Well, that's great but it's not persuading me whatsoever to look to leave the UK for Sweden.

What else does Sweden have to recommend it?

In all fairness, I phoned the GP at 8.30 this morning for DS2 and he was seen at 10.15am. My Childrens school didn’t close for the strike, nor did some of the local schools. My Granny had an ambulance out both in January & December and both arrived within the hour. Me, all my friends and all family have at least 1 holiday booked this year and are all still eating out regularly, still have gym memberships and going for coffees etc

It’s important to realise that despite the media painting a horrific picture, not that every single person in the UK right now is struggling to get a gp appointment and needs a food bank.

I'm not in UK/EU and from what I see, not many places in the world aren't having a crisis of some sort at the moment.

The issues may be slightly different, but they are there.

Not being in a first world country we are a bit more used to things not being run like a well oiled machine. I always thought UK, for EG, was Getting post the next day is absolutely unheard of for us, having an available bus to take us to x,y,z....not a chance. So now there are problems and this isn't happening, it surely is a massive upheaval and it's unsettling for the people. I don't disagree with it that all. So it's only natural for people to be pissed and upset. Things aren't like they were.

I don't know the answer going forward, but it's an everywhere problem.

But we still have to live as best as we can through it.

Tbh I just avoid the news now. It's depressing and I don't want to know all the details of every issue (blame 24hr news channels for that ).

Denial and ignorance.

I took my daughter to the NEU protest and it did make me feel slightly better at the massive turnout and show of support for our teachers.

True if the pp was in Sweden their every day life probably isn’t far off mine - eg schools, GP, hospital if needed, every day activity, going out etc

I avoid the news trying to get my attention with constant gloom and hyped up stuff these days which is much better

For the people knocking sweden- we've just had 20 months living in Copenhagen. It's not perfect but general services knock the UK into a cock hat. Yes there are robberies and the odd shooting and the occasional strike (as there are in any city of size) but for day to day living it functioned extraordinarily well. Clean, ordered plenty of police around and very family friendly. As for Malmo which we went to a lot, you would imagine it to be a cesspit - it has a few dodgy areas you just wouldn't go to- but I wouldn't say it was any different to say Bristol- and we don't bang on about Bristol. Very attractive centre in Malmo- never saw any trouble at all, day or night. The problem in the UK is the breakdown in basic public services - the fact that in some areas seeing a GP is pot luck, nowhere to discharge elderly informed people to, at the moment you can't post anything abroad it seems, people can't afford to get their teeth sorted, affordable rented housing is a severe issue in many parts of the country and police in some areas are like the lesser spotted dodo. The business centre I work at is acting as a visa processing centre and for the last 3 months there is a never ending daily queue of families from Southern Asia and the phillipines here and clearly are not all doctors or software engineers. The gvt are hiding this- they instigated Brexit partly on immigration grounds only to now be allowing mass immigration it seems from elsewhere except the EU --all exceptionally pointless and instead of single young mobile people it seems there are largish families and often not speaking much English and all needing services. I didnt actually care about EU immigration one iota- it worked both ways. I do care that people have been fed a lie that only hugely qualified people would be admitted at the expense of decimating peoples rights to live or work easily in the EU.

Last week, the Prime Minister of Sweden stated the gang violence, with hand grenade and machine gun attacks was a major problem ‘worse than terrorism’. It has been rife in other cities but has reached Stockholm since the murder of a particularly powerful Kurdish gang leader.

@TheNoonBell not here in Ireland, we are suffering the high costs of electricity food etc, and also have a severe housing shortage, but nothing to what i
read about the UK. I read yesterday that the UK will be the only country heading into recession. On a plus note because of Brexit our southern ports are booming with the extra boats to Europe to by pass UK.
Some have gone form one a week trip to France to several a day.

UK to see shorter recession, says Bank of England

Bank of England has also said inflation is falling though they've raised rates again.

So not all bad - and like many say it varies widely peoples experiences though I do agree it feel grim and I do think that's the media to an extent as well as services starved of cash since austerity and demographics.

It’s gone beyond being on its knees, UK is lying prostrate on the floor.
I was in tears this morning hearing about people having their homes broken into by British Gas to have prepaid meters fitted. One woman had £50 arrears ( though some years back) and ended up with £450 charges being added even though she’d asked to pay extra per month to clear the arrears.
People are going cold and hungry but the politicians are ok.

While I see the OPs point, I also agree with this. I read the German news (lived there for a while) and there is a lot on there about the increased cost of living, housing shortages, staff shortages in nursing and care in Germany…

Other countries seem to have better financial projections than we do and are bouncing back from the pandemic quicker. It’s brexit.

I guess this thread answers how we end up getting so ripped off

Yeah, sure keep charging me more and more and paying me less and less.

It's absolutely fine!

And what about those who were already in poverty?

What? Who?

Never heard of them....

Me too. Hitting the peak of my career yet living far far below standard of even 5 years ago. It's like no matter how hard you try you just can't be comfortable!

Other countries seem to have better financial projections than we do and are bouncing back from the pandemic quicker. It’s brexit.

I think it certainly plays a role but isnt whole picture - I think austerity was also a huge blunder with a long shadow.

I think with Brexit it's both the financial implications and also the attention time and resources it has and still consumes - at the expense of other issues.

Although it's also interesting to see that people will admit the 'European model' of health care isn't quite what it's cracked up to be