to think the UK has become awful?

[ma1formed]

I can't pinpoint when, but it feels like everything that was once pretty good is now quite awful

So expensive
No doctors
Uni costs for kids insane
Terrible rent / can't buy a house
Everyone seems quite unpleasant or racist

Is it just me?

Well, why not stay in lovely safe Europe?

It’s not. Those on PAYE are the workers. Just because someone has trained and qualified with an in demand skill set, why shouldn’t they earn a lot. You mean shareholders. The people taking all the profit are not on PAYE. Tax isn’t a red herring - not enough people are paying it and those that are are paying excessive amounts compared to global rates.

For the avoidance of any doubt UK and international law permits asylum seekers to transit third countries before making a claim.

Incorrect. People should claim asylum in the first safe country they enter.

Incorrect

I suggest you read about the St Louis, and then consider why the law is written in the way that it is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_St._Louis

Kendodd
I think tax is a bit of a red herring to be honest. The problem is the hoarding of profits at the very top rather than giving workers (who there'd be zero profits without) not getting their fair share. At the rate the country is going we'll end up with one person owning everything and everyone else scraping by.

++++

Without the shareholders investing capital in the business there would be no profits. Let's take the example of a pencil factory, it needs capital to pay for the raw materials (wood, paint, graphite etc) and for the machinery to produce the pencils etc. In return for risking their capital if the business is successful the shareholders get to keep the profits, if unsuccessful the shareholders lose their capital.

The workers on the other hand invest their time and in return get paid a wage maybe a bonus if the business is successful, if the business is unsuccessful then they lose their job.

If you force companies to give workers "a fair share" of the profits then this would mean the shareholders get less return on their capital in the business.

Whilst this might work in businesses which are highly profitable (so there is enough profit to share around) or established businesses where the initial risky few years has passed and profits are more dependable, it most certainly would not work in businesses where the profit margins are tighter or on new businesses where there is significant risk in the early years (investors would just not invest).

If n businesses such as law firms or accountants where knowledge, skills and human capital are more important than tangible capital such as machinery or raw materials then such businesses have to pay the workers much more, because without them the business could not function.

Is that how the water companies have been working?

I thought they had been borrowing money to invest in paying the shareholders dividends, without actually bothering with the tiresome work of providing customers with a service?

The law of the land rather trumps wikipedia.

The problem is that is not the very top/fat cats who suffer from paying high taxes as they either avoid it or earn so much it doesn't make a difference. It's the middle/professional classes like myself who are probably in the top 1% but thanks to living in London with eye watering bills, childcare, mortgage costs etc, don't actually have a better quality of life than those who do diddly squat all day. My kids actually say to me that they don't want to get a decent job as it looks so boring, long hours, no rewards, and I ask myself what the point is. Long days, no time with the kids, no time for the gym, can't afford a holiday unless I put it on the credit card, can't live the house I am working full time to pay for to my kids due to inheritance tax. Can someone remind me what the point it??

Because they are told lies by people traffickers. They know that our immigration processing system is so dire that they can get away with loaning poor people many times what they or their families can afford, then disappear them into the black economy to work in drug dealing, money laundering and prostitution to pay the money back. Instead of blaming immigrants, how about blaming the government for cutting staffing in all public services to the bone so there is no deterrent for people traffickers. They don't know what to do, so victimise people and then introduce unworkable headline grabbing legislation, start fights with the Lords, the courts, the ECHR etc to distract from.their sheer incompetence.

Illegal immigration is happening all across the world and most countries are seeing a far bigger influx than the UK.

Angry cat, and also because they think they'll have a chance of a better quality of life

Very much so. If anyone who had been following Lampedusa recently would see.

Plus Mexico - US

Yes the trafficking across the Med is awful, 1000s drown every year.

There is also nothing to stop these migrants crossing the channel & staying here.

It isn’t an awful place to live, it’s considerably better than many places but the majority of people have never lived anywhere else so can’t fathom how lucky we really are in many respects. The British spend an inordinate amount of time moaning about…well, about everything really and very little counting their blessings.

I ve lived in 3 different countries, 2 of them european, i'd like the UK to have a functioning health service... but according to you, because the NHS is better than healthcare in Mali or Syria , i should count my blessings, keep quiet and be happy with my lot.

I’m an Aussie and sorry but I loathe the NHS but absolutely love most other aspects of the UK (although why you don’t have mixer taps in sinks and why some of you peel potatoes directly into the sink is something I will never come to terms with).

Alexandra, I agree with trixie, count your blessings

Ha at potatoes

Having lived in various places I agree with @Trixiefirecracker

I've lived in developing countries. What I find most frustrating and disappointing is that with all our resources, things should be so so much better. Nothing here works quite right and it's still all so expensive. We're far too individualistic as a society, and it holds us back massively.
But it's s not a race to the bottom, and IME, other places moan just as much, just about different stuff.

Regarding the NHS, it is under pressure. However, having worked in the NHS, I I‘ve noticed that people do not use it properly, and abuse it hugely. They get cross that things are done, but don’t take responsibility for themselves.

Examples I can give:

1. Prescriptions - people leave it to the last minute to re-order their prescriptions, instead of ordering it when they have a weeks left. The gp then gets blamed for not getting his prescription ready, or they ring 111.

2. Routine blood test patients blame gps when they’re not called for a routine blood test. If they know they’re due one, they should ring the surgery and book it a few weeks in advance.

3. Medication reviews - as above.

4. Going to the gp immediately they have a sniffle instead of self care and letting a cold run it’s course.

5. Using other resources such as pharmacists to get medical information

Plus there’s a lot of treatments, syndromes, etc that are available now, which weren’t available several years ago.

I’m not saying the NHS is perfect, but if people used it responsibility, the situation would improve,

@Riverlee added to which, there has been a technological growth in the conditions that can be identified and treated, which is great, but which adds pressure on resources. At least, that was true a few years ago.

Of course & applies to all European healthcare systems, i doubt British people are any worse or better than abusing healthcare than the Germans or French etc etc?

Are we that bad?

As my DD would say to me "my dept (NHS) only works when its fully staffed, which it rarely ever is" its the biggest difference she has found in comparison with her same role in Australia now.

I’ve lived in seven countries. Uk was the worst by far.