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 .

I'm in the Netherlands, and whilst we are facing problems like high inflation, a broken housing market and a shortage of healthcare workers, the problem isn't nearly as dire as in the UK. I have complete faith that if I dial an ambulance there is one at my house within 10 minutes. Waiting lists are a lot shorter too. I needed to have a non-urgent ultrasound and got offered one for the next day.

We've not had austerity here like there's been in the UK since 2008. As a result the system and people can cope better now there's an economic downturn.

"We have crushed the UK to the ground, they are on their knees and will not rise for a very long time"

Seems like an accurate assement, to me.

shauny what does anti vax have anything to do with it? The lock down did a lot of damage financially and to mental health but the death count would have been a lot higher.
This is a world wide problem in some shape or form.

@Crikeyalmighty Interesting about the hidden immigration, we do have a severe recruitment problem though.

We are no worse than any other country, it’s just we linked to think we are

i have access to my GP, hospital appointments coming though ok, we had to call an ambulance recently for a family member, arrived quickly, hospital not overwhelmed and we were seen quickly, schools in my area not on strike , plenty of food in the shops

it maybe different in other areas, but certainly not all
.yes more can be done to help, but it’s not as bad as people are makingout

now wait to be told off by rabid Tory hating mumsnetters

I'm generally quite glass half-full and I recognise when I need to step back from consuming the media if I feel it's getting me down, but I find it hard to disagree with the OP. I know things go in cycles but I'm late middle-aged, disabled and tired and feeling right now like I won't live to see the better times ahead, or at least won't be fit and well enough to take advantage of them if they do come, so it's hard to feel optimistic right now.

Our village surgery within walking distance is closing as it's been unable to recruit enough GPs. We now all have to start using a different clinic - it's 'only' 4 miles away, but there's no direct bus route from where we live.
I rang the doctor's surgery last Friday to arrange blood tests. It used to be 1-2 days wait max; earliest they could offer me was next Tuesday.
My husband has been waiting since last May for an initial appointment to investigate a skin growth.
My father has had an appointment next week cancelled, which will have a knock-on effect to his ongoing treatment for sight loss.
There is literally no NHS mental health support available for a loved one's severe chronic illness. They were given a short list of charities who 'might' be able to help.
There are more empty units in my local shopping centre than occupied ones.
My weekly food shop costs 20% more than it did this time last year.
My energy costs are almost 3 times higher than they were 18 months ago.
The cost of the work that I need to do to my house (rewiring, new roof - we're talking essential maintenance not 'nice to have' conversions or extensions) is going up faster than I can save up for it.
In real terms I have suffered a 17% cut in wages over the last 12 years.

These are all things I've experienced first hand, not read in the papers or seen on the news. I'm not comparing to other countries, I'm comparing to how things were here even not so long ago in some cases. It might be worse in France but I don't live there!

Not sure about all this post but agree with the cries for lockdowns and people saying not a good idea.

No it's not. I live in Germany, gave birth last week. I was seen every two weeks from 32 weeks pregnant, then weekly from 36. I gave birth at 39 weeks but if I hasn't, I would've been seen every two days from 40 weeks by my gynae. Standard care here. I have a midwife who comes to my home every day to check on me and baby, and to support me with anything I need. If I need an appt for my toddler, the paediatrician gives us an appt the same day. We go straight to specialists for whatever we need and don't have to wait long for appts. For gps, we just go along in the morning if we need seen.

I remember the 1970s. I don't remember ANY food banks and not only could you get a GP appointment without much effort, doctors still made house calls.

It wasn't perfect but it was better than now.

We are about to have the biggest global shake up in history with everything you know is about to change

Shauna In what way is everything going to change?

I agree with this. They don't care any more, just taking what they can in profits for mates' businesses and making it as bad as possible so Labour have no chance of fixing anything in a term, and the Tories will get back in on a new shadow cabinet and 'We told you so...'

It's utterly depressing. Though I'll enjoy the landslide win.

Thank you for this perspective. I found it very useful and hadn’t thought of the cycle you described.

I hate the phrase 'on it's knees' or 'on my knees'. Irrelevant I know!

Yes things are glum but I still find happiness in my family and my life. No I'm not a billionaire. I know just enough about what is going on in the country to be able to have a civilized conversation but I don't seek out info to depress myself with.

I really am genuinely sorry for those of you who are really struggling, whether it's financially, mentally, or any other way. I am extraordinarily lucky.

We’ve been trying to decide between Sweden and Canada, half of us have Swedish citizenship, so that aspect helps. From visits to both we are so far swayed more towards Sweden.

It isn't a big surprise that after the changes caused by Brexit, immediately after the pandemic, and well into the war in Ukraine, people are not brimming with optimism.

Brexit has indeed affected more than just the UK. It's been in the news here in Germany in the last couple of days as a study came out by the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, saying that Brexit has been an economic disaster for both the UK and the EU. The UK used to be Germany's third largest export market, for instance. Now it is in 8th place and falling. German companies have workers in the UK, and UK companies have workers in Germany, and their jobs are at risk. That's bad for both countries, of course.
Germany's economy is not growing, but the UK is the only country that the IMF has predicted will fall into a recession. All the UK government can come up with is halving inflation, but ... that's not an impressive promise.

We'll rally eventually. But I can't see us having a life like those born after WW2.

I am also in the Netherlands and things are MUCH better here. So no, YANBU. People in Britain need to wake up.

Oh and I also forgot (was reminded by other comments upthread):

My DH and I no longer have dentists; none within feasible travelling distance have taken on new NHS patients since we moved here 5 years ago, and we can't afford private dentistry.
It's pot luck whether our prescriptions are fulfilled month to month; I've experienced HRT shortages and my DH's prescriptions are missing items because of stock shortages on a roughly every 1 in 3 basis.

It was all over the news and the aren't striking for more money put an increase in pension age which would still let them retire 3 or 4 years earlier than the UK.

what I've started to notice is that when I see someone I know in the street and take them by surprise by saying hallo, or when I'm in a shop and I chat, people looked shocked and apprehensive as an instinctive first reaction. And I've never noticed that before.
(But perhaps it's just me)

The sad thing is, ChiefWiggums, that you shouldn't feel "extraordinarily lucky" for feeling like that. That should be the norm, including for those on comparatively lower incomes! We've allowed ourselves to get sucked into a race to the bottom.

Everyone I know in real life is living life pretty much the same as they always have. Theres no talk of the country going to the dogs or people being desperately poor or the strikes bringing us all down. I only see that kind of talk online.

Wake up to what?

Ah, nothing Mumsnetters love more than the UK is on its knees and there is no more shit place on earth to live than in England.

It almost feels like a crime to say you're happy and life in the UK is good.

I love so many things about the UK (I live abroad). But I will not return as I will not subject my children to the uk schooling system in its current state. I could probably put up with everything else but I won't sacrifice my kids education and mental health.

Of course it is.

Over 50% cost the state more than they bring in. The top 10% of tax payers account for over 60% of tax paid.

Millions are not economically active by choice.

Not of this is sustainable.