to feel concerned about coming back to live in the U.K.

[tropicaltailwind]

I’m an expat. I left the U.K. in 2011. I go back every year to see family and friends. I keep up with British news and politics. I still think of Britain as my ancestral home. And I’m planning to come back, probably within four years.

I am worried about the Britain I’m bringing my family back to. The NHS under severe strain, crumbling social services, cost of living, shit in the rivers and sea, the rise of hard right politics. Do you think life in Britain has changed significantly in the last dozen years? Am I BU to worry about coming home?

Expat - you mean an emigrant

the rise of hard right politics

Op do you not follow UK news at all? According to all polls, Labour will almost certainly win the next election.

It's the worst I can remember. I'm 44.

You're young. It's certainly not the worst I can remember, I'm 20 years your senior. As for DH in his 70s, he remembers rationing...

Expat if moved temporarily by company.
I was an expat for 25 years. We were granted a work visa and residency in China only for the duration of dh’s employment, no right to remain and therefore not emigrants.

It’s not the country it was which is an utter shame.

You can’t be completely unaware of how the UK has changed. It was a shock to me and I came back in 2016!

Still love certain aspects but not enjoying living here anymore and we are a ‘wealthy’ household.

To clarify the remark re hard right politics, I’m aware Labour are likely to win next GE. I’m worried about how hard the Tories have swung to the right, the viciousness of anti immigration rhetoric, the whole Brexit hangover etc, how much nastier public discourse seems to have got.

re term ‘expat’ - that is the usual term where I’m from. There are many nationalities here and we are all called ‘expats’

thanks for responses so far. It’s very interesting to hear people’s thoughts.

We moved back three years ago after 25 years overseas. Changes I noticed - no NHS dentists, crap condition of roads, sense of entitlement, service can be dreadful especially tradespeople, too much reality tv, lack of critical thinking skills..

Oh come on. This shit is worldwide, not unique to the UK.

Look at the far right candidate winning the majority in the Netherlands

Look at the awful right wing rioting in Dublin.

Look at the politics in Germany and France.

How about the climate and pollution issues in Australia where they continue to open coal mines to export to china.

Nowhere is perfect and everywhere has issues.

It's a fair observation that the UK is more divided OP and ob politics it has got a lot more volatile. A decade ago you would probably have agreed to disagree. Brexit has changed attitudes on that for many people.

We have things like GB News, which is an opinion channel. That's a sort of American style which wasn't there a decade ago. Social media has made it seems more "fighty" than before and the newspapers across the board are stupider, public discourse is awful.

But is that life or background noise? I tune it out.

I notice more homeless in London. There is obvious poverty in some areas and shopping centers are dead, their purpose removed by internet shopping. A lot of people living on the never never with all that entails, but if you have decent money it's fine.

What I might say is the middle class job market is changing. Less permanent employment and more contracts. Contracting wasn't so much of a thing a decade ago, now it is.

We are in Norwich and to be honest I think it’s great. You have no hope at all of an NHS dentist but we always get a same day GP appointment and hospital appointments have been fast and easy.

There are lots of good/outstanding infant/junior schools but the high schools are all awful. So many problems.

Norwich has become much more diverse in recent years but I see this as a positive, though there has been some nastiness towards asylum seekers.

Could you try, but leave the door open to move back if it doesn’t suit you?

^Very much this.

Not sure about all the far right comments on this thread. The UK has added 745,000 in net migration in ONE YEAR to its population, spunks £150+billion on the NHS and has millions of people doped on benefits. The stuff of Corbyn's dreams. That's nowhere near far right.

OP one thing you will notice when you come back is the increased traffic and people everywhere. Yes, even in rural Norfolk. Peace will be hard to find. The roads will be full of potholes, and stuff is markedly more expensive. Everything is also a bit - how can I put it - hard work. eg phoning up for a doctor's appt, paying for stuff in a shop, travelling anywhere...it's all become such an effort to get anything done.

Are you in Cayman Op?

UK is a shit country right now but sadly I was born here and so its home and I'm stuck here. There is a lot of anti-foreigner and anti-immigration rhetoric. The arrogance and close mindedness of people who live in wealth and security is also sickening. However, nowhere is is any better, and there are some incredible people and communities here too.

Things are worse but definitely still better than in some other countries.
I would advise to work out what YOUR life style and every day life will be like. There is more poverty than there ever was but you may not be personally affected by it. It's horrible to say, of course, but not everyone is affected equally.
Whether you want to come back to such a divided society is probably a question you should ask yourself too...

I’m middle-aged and don’t think it’s unrecognisable from what it was in 2011. I do struggle to think of another western country I’d prefer to live in as they’ve all got their good and bad points - better the devil you know!

@tropicaltailwind Norwich is good. I think the UK like anywhere has good and bad stuff and lifestyle really depends on 'where' you live . (We lived in Copenhagen for 20 months) and came back 18 months ago. Personally there are vast amounts of UK I wouldn't pick to live - I also like living with a decent hospital with an A&E on doorstep, good shopping and nice countryside nearby (Norwich is one place that has this - we don't live there but I know it well) There are things that will annoy you hugely- but I'm sure the same is true where you are too.

Where you’re. moving from doesn’t sound great to me tbh. I love living in the UK.

Norfolk/Norwich is quite out of the way though.
Would you consider towards Cambridge?

Agree with previous posters. Depends on many variables. How happy you are where you are currently living, the area you’d be moving to, what your income is and how much you might need to rely (or not) on public services.
I feel things have changed. There is a general air of discontent, Covid changed a lot of things, NHS appointments in particular doctors are more difficult to get, NHS dentists are few and far between.
cost of living has risen and for many people made life quite difficult. There also seems a massive sense of entitlement with many people - or maybe I’m just grumpier because I’m menopausal 🤣
overall I don’t dislike living in the Uk

Makes me so sad to think this is necessary. 2010 NHS scored highly globally. Tories so underfunded it.

@Crikeyalmighty, how did you find Copenhagen? Thanks.

Day to day it feels like pretty much the same Britain as always to me. Ignore the headlines.

Tbf we have private healthcare through work and hardly use it, NHS has been fine

Bloody Hell OP don't come here! (England)

It's an absolute shithole and even when Labour win the next election its not going to get better anytime soon - it'll take years to undo the damage and carnage wreaked by the Tory Trash.

Scotland or Wales are your best bet - so much more bang for your buck and the people are so much better (and nicer) than the other lot!

This.
If i was ex pat no way would i come back. The uk is in desperate situation