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 agree OP. Only G7 country set to have a contracting economy. I am so fed up of basic things no longer working in this country.

You do only see what's in front of your nose most of the time. Why would you know about the violence and sexual abuse against women and girls rampant in South Korea? Why would you know about the mass unemployment in South America? Etc etc.

The point I'm trying to make is that everywhere has problems, and if you're not in the thick of it of course you won't see it.

That being said I won't deny we are definitely on a downturn in the UK at the moment, but downturns happen and so do upturns.

Also, people have overly high expectations in the UK. Many don't seem to realise that actually most people in the UK are pretty poor, comparitively. We live in small houses and most people don't have many luxuries. We've sort of been lied to for a long time that we're all rich flush and lux westerners, but the majority of us really aren't, and now the west as a whole is in trouble too. We'll see how it goes.

We’re certainly in a bad situation at the moment, as are some other European countries.

BUT we’ll bounce back. We always do, it’s just the way life goes.

The recession of the early 1990s was hideous, people losing their houses left right and centre. But good times did come back and they will this time too.

I know about violence in South Korea. Christ if we are comparing ourselves against South Korea then matters are worse than I thought.

Brexit innit?

South Korea is a highly developed successful economy.

What kind of comment is this? South Korea could be said to be doing a lot better than the UK in many ways, for quite some time too, but they have their own problems too. That was the point I was trying to make.

I lived for a few years in the UK and I live in Ireland now (you can call it Éire if you like - I don't mind!). Prices are high everywhere but looking at it objectively, I think Brexit has really fucked over the UK. I left England a month before the Brexit vote and was shocked at the result. Brexit is destroying business in the UK and that, coupled with a high proportion of people reliant on the state, means it's not in a great position right now. Unfortunately, the war and inflation are just adding to it.
I do feel that there are too many people reliant on the state in Ireland too and taxes are pretty high to support them. That doesn't make me very happy as a taxpayer, and I would like to see changes there too, but I'm going off on a tangent.

Vera99 I share your sentiments about BJ and how he hitched his pulling power - drawing 52% of voters with him - to the Brexit wagon and used the referendum entirely for personal gain. It was despicable, greedy, selfish, unprincipled behaviour, devoid of care and responsibility, and has damaged the uk if not permanently, then certainly for the next two or three decades at least.

And those saying Europe is the same boat, are plain wrong. I live in a continental European country where I can see my gp the same or next day, there are few waiting lists for operations, ambulances arrive within seven minutes in a major town or city, the hospitals are clean and efficient, my dc have received excellent free state secondary school and university education and the integrated public transport is cheap (compared to uk) and relatively punctual and there are two bin collections a week and outstanding recycling services. I pay higher taxes than in uk but that’s ok because the public services are so much better.

In 2019 we went to rome for the weekend. The centre of Rome was completely shut as there was a massive protest. I spoke to a group who told me it was because they wanted better wages and to be out of Europe.
This was never reported in English news albeit an Italian lady I worked with said it was massive news in Italy.

I've also recently returned from Sweden and it's not utopia some believe it is. The country has unrest, crime and violence issues which are increasing but it's not reported in the UK.

Do you never read the European news OP?

I'm not saying this country isn't a mess but things are just as bad over there, worse in some countries.

It’s one shit tip mess and I love the comparisons being made to third world countries, it’s not relevant how about we just compare to how all our services, utilities used to run. 12 years of Tory rule has effectively destroyed everything including small businesses

@FrostyFifi my goodness, I knew South Africa was bad but didn’t realise how bad. How stressful for everyone living there.

@Ted27 your post was like a history lesson, really put a lot in perspective. I also grew up with poverty around me in the 70s, and my mum taught in a school where some children had no shoes. How quickly things have changed.

But I think the UK is in trouble, and more so than most of Europe if I’m honest. I’m in Ireland and we do not have the same doom and gloom, or strikes, can get to the doctor. Interest rates are rising and A&E is strained (covid + other bugs). Cost of living has some impact, but our prices of food and clothes was already higher. Rents are high but that’s been going on a while. Education is still fine, teachers and doctors generally very well paid (although busy).

Brexit is a major factor, it does from the outside look like UK has lost its way, education is not good, NHS in real trouble.

There you are OP Everything is fine here. There is apparently some violence in Sweden and strikes in Italy in 2019. And South Korea and Ethiopia do not look great places to live. So everything is fine in the UK. The shrinking economy, terrible public services and low pay while the rich get richer is just a figment of your imagination. Or at least it could be worse in Ethopia.

I am not sure which country you are in, but here, Gordon Brown ensured that there was no point in working more than 16 hours a week if you are on benefits, so we have millions of people who aren't working when they should.

The Tories tried to solve that with Universal Credit but haven't been able to as the damage was already done.

So our benefits bill is probably much higher than yours which means less can be spent on public services.

You have an expensive, sparkly and flamboyant coronation to look forward to but don't forget to make donation to your local food bank while you celebrate someones else's tax free inheritance. 🎉💐🎂

Charles Coronation is forecast to cost double the Queen's Coronation in real terms. Enjoy!

Just to back this up with some data, the pound sterling has lost around 20% of it’s value since Brexit, it’s the only member of the G7 with an economy smaller than before the pandemic.
Source edition.cnn.com/2022/12/24/economy/brexit-uk-economy/index.html

AllOutofEverything - I don't think reading comprehension is your asset and you don't seem to know which country South Korea is. There are also problems elsewhere =/= there aren't any problems here. The point is to try to give some perspective to the OP who is worried.

The UK as we know it will not exist in 10 years

Just be glad that you weren't born in North Korea.

Also contrary to what the press are saying, nearly everyone I know has been better off vs a decade ago. I think most of the negativity is fake news.

Yes it is. But I can't talk about it anymore. It's exhausting.

Brexit is a major factor, it does from the outside look like UK has lost its way, education is not good, NHS in real trouble

Of course it is, the rest of the world knows this, most of us (every constituency bar one now polling regret for leaving) now know this and it’s a shrinking minority that think all is fine. Many of them are in wealthy areas and are well off, and because those in their circles are doing ok, they ignore the wider picture. They’re alright, Jack.

One thing that has been decimated over the past decades is our manufacturing base, and we’ve all but made it impossible to export to our neighbors. Slow handclap. We also have gaping holes in our workforce which we’re unable to fill. Germany and other Eu members don’t have that impeding their economies and will continue to attract investment.