Seriously thinking about leaving the UK

[Tanyasfootspa]

I’m not sure when the turning point was, but DH and I have hit a wall. The DC are both at university now, and for the first time in a long time, we’re thinking seriously about leaving the UK. The only thing stopping us is wanting to be close to potential future grandchildren.

It just doesn’t feel like the same country anymore. Everything seems to be falling apart — the NHS, education, transport, basic services — and yet at the same time, there’s this growing mindset that the government should step in and fix every personal problem. I’m all for supporting people who genuinely need help, but it’s frustrating seeing how much personal responsibility has gone out the window. It feels like no one’s expected to stand on their own two feet anymore.

We’ve worked hard our whole lives, paid our taxes, and honestly, it feels like we’re constantly penalised for it. Meanwhile, the cost of living is insane, our quality of life is slipping, and every time we turn on the news, it’s just more chaos or excuses.

We’ve started looking at options — maybe Canada, or somewhere in Europe (though Brexit makes that harder). We don’t expect a perfect life anywhere, but we want to live somewhere that still feels like it’s moving forward, not falling apart.

Has anyone else made the move once the kids were grown up? Did it help? Are we just burned out, or is this how others are feeling too?

Would really love to hear your honest experiences.

Type in “Hate Marches London”. Not the kind of environment I want my future grandchildren to grow up in.

I did type that in

Wow. You live in London. If you don't like the shops near you, you can literally take a short bus or train ride using London's excellent public transport to have the choice of thousands of shops, to say nothing of all the glorious culture and history that is to be found there. And you're complaining because you have cosmopolitan shops in your area.

If you're not happy with your circumstances that is on you, and no-one else.

Poster starts an incendiary thread then pisses off - never to return.

Good and don't bang the door on your way out.

I certainly could not care one jittegy jot if you go to Canada

@Davros im not in the USA, Im living in Ireland so there is free public healthcare for everyone here, having a private healthcare package just gives you access to private hospitals which essentially just speeds things up and there is less overcrowding etc. say if the wait list for public care was 2 weeks Id likely wait 2 days...for non urgent care where public wait lists are months and months Ive only had to wait 2 weeks.
Also gives money back for things like glasses, dentist visits, GP visits. Earlier this year I got new glasses and prescription sunglasses went for high end in both and it was €500 but I got €250 of that back with my private healthcare. If i didn't work or have insurance then there are much much cheaper options.
Now that I have it I feel I never want to be without it but realistically we have a free healthcare available to all citizens so if the day ever came where i was without it I would be fine.

This isn’t a terrorist support thread Davros it’s a thread weighing up the current situation of the UK and whether it’s worth considering living elsewhere.

I knew you were in Ireland so basically, for you, it’s a lovely extra benefit which you make good use of. But if you didn’t have that job and associated healthcare package you’d still be alright?

Happy to pay taxes at the current top rate, but no more. And yes, more than happy to pay for where it’s needed. Not to support able people who choose not to work.

And you have data to show that there are significant numbers doing that, of course?

Plenty of data available for that, and if it wasn’t such a lovely evening I’d find some. The Benefits system is broken, perhaps it’s escaped your notice but it’s one of the reasons for the demise of public services.

Problem now is even the middle classes are struggling with cost of living, collapsing public services and unprecedented demographic change, as well as a bleak job market and dreadful housing market for their teenage children.

We'll see major white flight from the UK over the next decade and millions more unskilled migrants for Starmer and his globalist pals to allow in to replace them, while being able to say net migration isn't that high because all the natives are leaving.

I've been living in Catalunya for years.

There is no amount of money that would convince me to move back to the UK.

We live in the centre of Barcelona. It is much safer, the healthcare is much better (incomparably so), the criminal justice system functions better and is focused much more in rehabilitation and less on punishment, the (state) schools are good, our kids are trilingual, sports and arts extra curricular activities are affordable and widely available...

It is a wonderful place and I love it here and so do pretty much everyone I know who has chosen to live here as do those who are from here originally.

It is not a place to make your fortune, wages are low. But the quality of life is excellent.

Move to Ireland. From UK you don’t need visa.

It has escaped my notice, given it really isn’t. If it’s such a lovely evening why are you here at all? And since you are, finding the evidence should be easy.

The reason for that is increasing inequality and wealth being dragged up to the very top. Taxing actual wealth is the answer.

Just move to a nicer place in Britain

There are many thriving and desirable places eg market towns in the north.

And contribute to keeping it a nice place to live.

A town or village is only as good as its people. They’re not five star hotels where someone else magically provides you with a great place to live while you sit back and soak up the service. You have to nurture it yourself.

Costa Rica and Mexico above the United Kingdom?! 😂😂

And Israel is too?!!!

And also all those Eastern block countries, that people always seem keen to leave - to live in the UK! 😬 All above the UK, for the best places to live?!

Clearly a load of made up nonsense that 'poll!' 😆 Who writes this shit?!

White flight? Lol at white people being the only skilled ones. Have you looked at the NHS or the City or tech? Literally millions of skilled non-whites with medical, finance and engineering degrees. The CEOs of nearly every Silicon Valley startup are non-white. As is every doctor in my NHS practice.

Maybe talk about the flight of talent. Because there are sure as hell many non- skilled, lazy white people here.

I completely understand what you mean but leaving my children would be unbearable. Having said that I spend a lot of time worrying that this country isn't the one I grew up in, in terms of opportunities and they don't have the same opportunities that I have had. Now you have to work a lot harder to simply stand still.

You Govn opinion poll. So the people in the countries. They must be far happier there than those in the U.K. maybe we’re all just a miserable lot. Maybe our expectations are higher

Penalised how? @Tanyasfootspa

An American I know has a health condition. Her health insurance company (from her employer) would only pay for the cheapest medication - one which couldn't effectively deal with the problem. It was too expensive for her to buy herself. She tried the cheaper medication she was offered and became very ill. She then had to take a lot of time off work and was sacked. That meant she no longer had any health insurance at all...

It might be tricky for you once/if you have grandchildren. It's never the same if you're far away. You'll miss out on so much of their lives. It's not rosier elsewhere. I'd really do my homework before moving abroad.

Yep, Australia is the same.

My 28 year old son went to New Zealand last November and has now applied for residency. Got a good job within a couple of weeks and loves it there. As much as we all miss him I would not wish him back here. Go for it.