To think we’re lucky to be in Britain?

[BooomShakeTheRoom]

• Temperate climate with distinct seasons, all the more important and enjoyable as we see other areas of the world suffer with annual fires, floods, hurricanes etc.
• Basic protection of human rights and freedom. Yes, politically we’re in a strange place globally and nationally (yes, looking at you Reform and Trump voters 😑) but - generally - you can be who you are with minimal risks. That really isn’t the case in many parts of the world still.
• NHS - again, yes it’s stretched and not perfect but it’s still far better provision than most other people have in the world. I have friends and neighbours who have moved back to the UK just for the healthcare.
• Fantastic school system. We have it VERY good compared to many countries. Again, some of my friends have moved back to the UK to access our free school system. I feel very lucky to be able to send my kids.
• Pretty decent benefits and state support system. A LOT of people are housed and fed by the system who would otherwise be destitute.
• World class maternity rights.
• Good life/work balance for most. 35-40hrs per week is a lot less than many other countries expect.
• Beautiful coastlines, national parks, vibrant cities, shops, parks, kids entertainment. Again, lots of communities around the world don’t have all of that accessible.

We hear a lot of doom and gloom, but for me at least, I feel very blessed to have won the postcode lottery to have been born here. Could things be better? Of course, certainly. And life can throw us problems regardless. But it could also be a whole lot worse and I’m really thankful for everything I have access to.

Just wanted to post this as media plays a big role in depressing people and I hope this post prompts people to think about what they do have, rather than what they don’t.

(I appreciate people feel differently, just wanted to see a positive post!)

Made me smile!

I mean, compared to Gaza (and yes, quite a few other countries and places), but compared to European countries…Healthcare, Education and maternity rights are much better elsewhere in Europe. Where I’m from we have 12 months maternity leave on 90% pay, plus at least 1 month for the partner, but usually mor. Even taking 2 years maternity is not unheard of.

Lucky - possibly.
Only because I was never short of means.

We don't need advice. We need enough money to afford the basics. But yes, as we're on benefits, we'd be considered eligible for the food bank because benefits are a pittance. Unfortunately the food bank is not a permanent viable alternative to being able to afford to eat.

Where in the UK are you living?

There aren’t four distinct seasons - the temp seems to range from 5-15 all year round with a few weeks of extremes. Cloudy and rainy skies prevail. The weather here is awful. So lots of lovely coastline etc but why would you go on holiday in the UK when the weather is so unpredictable and poor.

A lot of other countries have an NHS style system and when compared to others and doesn’t rank as high.

Our schools are very hit and miss and the two tier system is just poor. I have friends in many western countries and they are shocked at our constant testing, rigidity and treatment of teachers.

Work life balance in most European countries is far better.

Yeah there are things to be positive about but I’m afraid most aren’t on the list you have provided for me.

Yes very much agree OP. British people are so naturally negative and whiny but we have so much to be grateful for

A few people from some countries (such as the US where the healthcare is amazing but only if you can pay for it) isn’t really compatible.

I have good friends in at least 15 western countries and all feel the same as this poster.

OP I agree with you, the NHS being free at the point of use is brilliant, many other systems you have to pay something or pay and then be refunded later. My sis went to A&E and was triaged to the top of the queue and operated on within 24 hours, they even gave her a parking pass so she didn’t have to pay for the week her car was in the car park. My kids schools are great, and if I don’t feel they are I’m free to say so. I can dress as I please, believe what I like. Could the UK be better? of course, but we’d have to pay more in tax.

What’s your comparator? Ukraine? Afghanistan? Because yes, we are very fortunate in comparison to them. With the rest of Western Europe I’m not sure we are exactly a beacon of excellence.

The county’s been in a steep decline since we chose to make ourselves internationally irrelevant in 2016. Our waterways are full of filth, our infrastructure collapsing after a decade and a half of no investment, the issues raised by disasters like Grenville still haven’t been fixed and the NHS is inches from collapse.

We have a beautiful natural environment but wildlife we are treating with too little respect.

I think people who think we have a decent welfare state don't remember how things were 20 years ago. They were far better then.

I agree with you on everything except 'world class maternity rights'. Apparently,GB is rated 22 out of 24 European countries. Only Slovakia and Ireland were rated lower.

We are lucky we aren’t in a war zone, or in a developing country with no food or safe water to drink. But IMO there are also many other better countries in the world to live in! I think it’s a case of you don’t know what you’re missing if you’ve never had it…

I experienced much better healthcare when living in Canada and France. I hear that Spain also has excellent healthcare. I think most European countries have better than Britain, tbh.

Weather here is shit!!! Yes it’s temperate…temperately miserable. It’s such a cliche to moan about U.K. weather but it’s one of the main reasons we are considering moving back to France. It’s just so depressing. I did not realise how depressing until I lived abroad and then moved back here. Think of the crisp cold sunny days you could be having in a colder climate, or the long warm evenings in a warm climate. It completely affects how you live your life. It affects how communities come together in the evening, how people socialise. Everyone in England is huddled inside their homes most of the year and there isn’t the level of community socialising that exists in warmer European countries, or in Canada during the summer when we used to bump into lots of other families at the lake after work having BBQs and campfires. This in turn affects how children are raised, the kids in France / canada were often out playing on their bikes with friends into the early eve whereas now we are in the U.K. all their friends are locked inside gaming.

Fresh ingredients here taste bland compared to fresh ingredients in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Canada, Croatia, Greece, etc etc.

Free schooling about the same as in Canada and France…not as good as Scandinavian countries. I’ve heard places like Costa Rica, Singapore, Thailand have excellent schools but don’t have experience of them.

Freedom in Britain feels more restricted. Planning permission is so strict, you can’t park anywhere without having to pay, a few times a year I get fines for things that I genuinely haven’t tried to take the piss about I’ve just recieved a fine because I overlooked something. Everything is automated / computer run (canada was like stepping back to the 90s in terms of customer service - everything face to face and personable). Traffic jams everywhere, train tickets unaffordably expensive, if you want to go on a day out at the weekend or during the holidays the place you are trying to go to is either sold out or completely rammed. I live in south east so probably experiencing the worst of the UK’s overpopulation though.

so yes, I think you are being semi-unreasonable singing Britains praises so much.

Yep I have lived overseas previously (mainland Europe, North America, Oz).

All great places but also very happy to be living in the UK.

Broadly speaking, I agree with you. But I would say healthcare and schools are poor compared to comparable countries like France and Germany.

I bet if you go to A&E in France or Germany you don't end up being treated on a trolley in a corridor for days on end.

DC1 has just graduated from a top UK university and was always telling me how much more their foreign friends covered at school, especially in maths.

Yes, it's horrendous. But it was horrendous back in the noughties too when both my Mother and FIL suffered at their hands, constant mistakes/negligence and both died because of NHS failings. I really don't think it was that much better 20 years ago. My OH has cancer and every sodding month the oncology dept screw up his blood tests, treatments, consultations, etc - it's just a sodding fiasco - the sheer incompetence at every level is astounding.

We are the second cloudiest country in the world after Ireland, but home is home. I’d be a foreigner if I lived anywhere else and, while that can be fun for a while, I’m not cut out to do that for life.

I think there's a fair few countries that count as very lucky

Hearing about others that are not brings it in to sharp focus

100% agree Op
I'm so happy I'm British and would never dream of moving away from our country; some other countries are ok for holidays but there's no place like home.

Yes absolutely.
There are some issues of course, but most days u feel incredibly lucky and bar a couple of places worldwide, I wouldn't live anywhere else.

It's really weird to be boasting about how the UK is great now when it's the worst it's been for a long time.... Brexit, badly handled COVID, the shit show of Boris and Liz Truss, the years of austerity, the NHS is almost dead, schools are failing, and people are unhappier than they've ever been

The "isn't Britain brilliant" sounds like a MAGA kind of nonsense, to be honest.

I'm not from the UK but I studied there and lived in Scotland for many years.

Sorry, but healthcare is one of the reasons I moved FROM the UK. Just for reference, in my home country the public system is similar-ish, but we have a fantastic private one, a lot of good employers offer free private healthcare in large clinics. Basically, consultations (any dr), blood work, ultrasounds, all free, as much as you need. Our GP is always the same person (rather than a clinic) and can be easily contacted and see you the same day, or next day, tops.

When we have an issue with baby, ped replies on whatsapp in less than 2 hours.

I absolutely love the UK in so many aspects... but healthcare is definitely not one of them.

Here you go, some in London, there are others dotted around the UK as well. They are called Urgent Care Centres, you can walk in, give them your bank details and voila, no extra long wait. Life threatening emergencies would still go via NHS hospitals, and would be seen a lot quicker than via A&E.

https://www.hcahealthcare.co.uk/ucc-24

The same goes for private ambulance services, although most tend to work in partnership with the NHS and private hospitals.

My point of course is that if you have the money, you won’t have to wait. But at least if you don’t have the money, the NHS won’t turn you away.

Our state pension is low and the pension age is getting older and older before anybody can start claiming.

So we should be walking around being ‘humble’ rather than look for good qualities?
Britain and British is far more than NHS, schooling and politics.
Do you not like your country?

Not sure people living through either world war would necessarily agree