To think it’s shocking how bad Britain has fallen apart compared to other European counties

[TheColourofspring]

I am in Spain at the moment in one of the big cities. It’s clean, modern, well maintained. Transport is cheap, food is cheap, healthcare seems to work pretty well (from talking to local). Parks are noticeably well maintained- even saw park keepers! Clean & tidy.

Pensions higher, if you lose your job you get a portion of your salary in unemployment benefits while you look for another and there are no penalties. Based on the premise that if you have paid in, you will get looked after if you are in need.

I am not saying it’s perfect- no country is but it was the same when I was in France last summer.

In Britain, everything is underfunded and close to the edge. Schools, the NHS, local authorities are all at breaking point. My local parks look shabby & there is very little maintenance. Roads have pot holes. Yesterday I read an article about pharmacies being the latest at ‘crisis’ point with major drug shortages (thanks to brexit). Queues at borders, people can’t heat or eat properly, food banks, housing is ridiculous for many people.

I think it’s just so noticeable when you go to other places just how run down Britain is.

Finding it shocking and a bit depressing - like I said, all countries have their issues but I think Britain really has been pillaged by the tories & Brexit really is a disaster.

Well, I hate the Tories and everything they stand for and think Brexit was a massive act of self harm.

But I also think your view of the UK is probably massively dependent on where you live.

The parks are lovely where I am. There's brand new play equipment recently installed. I still have an NHS dentist and yesterday I rang my GP about DD and the GP called me back within an hour. Last week she needed seeing face to face and she got an appointment on the day. My husband's business has grown massively in the last 10 years from three employees to just under 50.

The pot holes are flipping terrible though. But on the other hand every time I report one it gets repaired within a couple of days so when people complain about them I do have to wonder if they have reported them.

I went to Rome a few weeks ago. Couldn't get over how much litter there was, even in the parks.

I think every country has its issues. I think ours are particularly bad at the moment. We've had 13 years of Tory rule and the current lot KNOW they are out soon so are now just focused on getting as much money into their backer's pockets as possible.

But I also don't believe that the UK is on track to become a third world country either.

I can't believe how complacent some people are and frankly, selfish. The number of stories one hears, first hand, but also in an intelligent newspaper, about people struggling to eat, feed their families, find a dentist or doctor, the increase in food banks, the shortage of basic goods in the shops, young girls unable to afford sanitary ware, the list runs and runs.

All these things more important than potholes, dog shit and litter but you'd think the last three would suggest this is a country on its knees.

I suppose some Tory will trot out the 'no one needs to be poor in the UK' mantra now, someone who has never had to deal with the so called benefits system which sets up claimants to fail.

As to unemployment figures, fgs, they are manipulated to look good by our corrupt government!

Yesterday someone told me about how many young people, her grandson included who are forced to work from home as control centre staff, lonely and badly paid. Also about American corporations taking over GP practices, halving the number of doctors but employing PAs instead, young people who are trained to be, kind of, triage administrators.

Degrees cost a fortune for some while others luxuriate on grandparents' hand outs and put their student loan money in high earning interest accounts instead.

This country is a total mess with a divided population, half have SUVs and kids in private education, the unlucky other half pay the price. The French would never put up with it, what is the matter with the UK population??

You won’t see the cracks in any countries you holiday in. Live there for a year as a tax paying resident and they will become apparent.

As I said in my first post, there are real and structural issues in the UK and I urge everyone to vote to change the governing party when we next can. Brexit was a terrible, flawed policy that has created unnecessary hardship and issues at a time when the global situation has been so challenging that it was the absolute last thing the country needed. But the global situation is challenging and that's been felt by all countries. The idea that all these problems are unique to the UK and the imagined utopia of 'Europe' shares none of them irritates me because it's inaccurate and ignorant. I also think it does ultimately have its roots in British exceptionalism, and is just the other side of that coin - the unspoken assumption often seems to be that the UK 'should' be doing better than wherever someone most recently went on holiday.

What’s with all these Brexit threads in AIBU lately? Is the Brexit board dead?

As I keep saying, I am in Spain with people who live here so while a tourist, I am getting a local perspective.

To the people saying the problem is the Tories. Well yes, but actually it's because we're led by extremely wealthy people who don't use public services.

I'm sorry but Sir Kier Starmer and his ilk also fall into this category so I doubt he will provide much change.

Until it becomes more affordable for the average person to stand for election I can't see anything changing. Also we need more people in government with skills gained in the real world (prior to standing for election, not this second job business) and no more career politicians!

My elderly british relative collapsed,84 years old unconcious/ was told ambulance will be there in 2 hours.

another british relative,heart attack- get a taxi to hospital

in a hospital in europe- 4 meals a day with options for gluten and dairy free, low gi for diabetics etc 78 meals to choose from.

in the nhs hospital- choice of 3 and none are for diabetics,celiacs,peoole with even common allergies or intolerances like egg, dairy etc

The tax rate in Sweden is over 50% from memory.

I moved to Spain 10 years ago, northern (affluent) part. I do miss England terribly but I get around that by being a teacher as we have 3 month summer holidays which I spend in England.

I want to move back to England and be around my family (I was only coming for a gap year!!) but I’m nervous about the class sizes, education in general (20 kids per class here), obviously the price of uno compared to free here, general lack of offering for children (like free extracurriculars, free wraparound care etc), and the state of the NHS. My dad recently had to drive my mum to the front desk of the gp to physically show she couldn’t breathe well as they wouldn’t give her an appointment (asthmatic) and my parents were shrugging it off like it was normal!! I’m worried for them as they age.

Spain isn’t without its problems but health and education take priority for me for the moment. What I do find surprising is how a lot of people would rather defend Britain’s honour than hold the govt to account. Protests are healthy, the tories have more or less criminalised them and everyone is like “oh well!”

@Reallifelurker its not a brexit thread.

and maybe there are brexit threads because people can see what an effing disaster it is

The real impact of Brexit starting to hit. As we knew it would.

Agree.

And to any politicians reading this, stop selling off all our public services to the private sector FFS!

I dont know what the countries are like to live in but i found france, netherland, belgium, germany, spain, austria, and switzerland notibly cleaner and better kept (eg road quality) than england.

Yanbu but at least we haven't legalised beastiality

They’re breaking out. Maybe it’s the polls. Or that Covid is over so Brexit and we’re the shittest is the new one.

What I do find surprising is how a lot of people would rather defend Britain’s honour than hold the govt to account
Yes! It's actually the opposite of patriotism!

Seriously now people - travel to neighbouring countries and be gobsmacked at how well they're doing. Be angry. The tories are ruining a beautiful country full of decent people. It doesn't have to be like this, life can be good!

So a few weeks living with locals gives you a proper insight into what it would be like to live there permanently? It really doesn’t

@begoneday omfg, they are lifelong friends who have lived here 20 years. It’s not a one off chat but a conversation over many years.

and Jesus, the state of people on this thread doing everything to defend the U.K. and refuse to see reality. It’s depressing

You will have different to your friends on what you’d like your tax money to be spent on. You are a tourist, not a tax payer there. It’s once we see the corruption of governments wasting our money that we start to see the cracks.

Different ideas

I agree. Just look at litter. I've been in France for a couple of weeks (Brittany) and there is effectively no litter - whereas every British roadside is choked with it. The difference is extremely striking.

Just one example - but it doesn't have to be the way it is. It goes back to austerity as well as Brexit although Brexit is a huge exacerbating factor.

Go visit the slums in Paris where they put their immigrants and then tell me the UK is doing better. Go see how Muslim women are treated there if they want to wear their religious attire. We’re not doing particularly well here, but no where is at the moment.

Yes that really isn't t helping