Dh says the U.K is f***** and he never wants to go back

[Chippednailtoepolish]

These were his words this morning.

We live abroad in a place where a lot of people are coming to live, escaping the uk and America.
He says with everything on the news, the way it's going and what the people coming to where we are tell him, that we'd be mad to return.
Is he being realistic? I want to return to be with family desperately and have a strange feeling that I need to do it soon

Would we be mad to return at this time? If yes, then when!

Data from the Office of National Statistics, showing a significant decrease in crime recently: Data for YE March 2026 showed that:

• the number of homicides decreased by 7% (to 499 offences) compared with YE March 2025 (539 offences); this was the lowest figure since current police recording practices began in YE March 2003
• offences involving knives or sharp instruments fell by 8% (to 48,774 offences) compared with YE March 2025 (53,096 offences); falls were seen across most regions in England and Wales
• offences involving firearms decreased by 8% (to 5,151 offences) compared with YE March 2025 (5,596 offences)
• the number of robbery of personal property offences fell by 9% (to 57,693 offences) compared with the previous year, however, overall robbery increased by 10% (to 87,362 offences) mainly because of improvements to recording practices for robbery of business property
• Following a period of increases in shoplifting, there has been a 4% decrease (to 507,086 offences) in YE March 2026, when compared with the previous year (530,324 offences)

Britain is NOT fucked - but there are sinister forces who wish to push the narrative that it is. I live in a large city and feel perfectly safe, as a woman, going out on my own at night.

Yes, give Portugal a chance to recover from the flood of overpriced housing 🙏🏻

Only read the first couple of pages but there are a number of posters bemoaning both the state of public services and potential tax rises. Are some people incapable of joining the dots and understanding decent public services need decent financial investment by the public in the form of higher taxes?

I live in a fairly shitty part of the country with cheapo housing but it's actually rather lovely! Lots of nearby green spaces, parks, and good transport connections.

My current house price is 250k so come on down! 😁

Are you listening in?

Of course there are problems. IMHO media and social media reporting about the supposed causes of the country's problems is itself causing some of the scariest issues we're facing (emboldened racists, rampant misogyny, a drive towards a more selfish society and more American-style enshitification of public services).

What I do know is that where I live now is MUCH better than the place I grew up in forty years ago, and my impression is that many parts of the country have improved markedly over the same time span. Statistics bear this out.

What about everyday crimes, burglary, assaults, car theft, vandalism. Most people don't bother reporting lower level crimes now like criminal damage as they know nothing will be done about it. Shoplifting offences are up 5% sexual offences are up 8%. Most people don't get murdered, luckily. Most people are concerned by crimes that affect them day to day and these are increasing. Antisocial behaviour being one of the main ones.

Ah but our taxes are being spent on anything but public services. Unless you count benefits and propping up the vast number of asylum seekers / immigrants a public service

Where ever makes you happy but its not happy in the uk

Those crimes don’t count as crimes anymore. When we talk about crime stats we just focus on the murder rate.

I’ve lived all over the world and love the UK.

Maybe try and read a few stories on here https://www.reddit.com/r/GoodNewsUK/

and look for positive news when you can eg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-26/britain-s-becoming-more-efficient-and-it-s-little-to-do-with-ai

Nah, it's Harry.

Of course people see that . But they also were not all in it together and they therefore get no value for the tax they contribute . That’s what people rally against paying more and more tax for little in return and see others contributing nothing .

Ah, never been. I’m sorry it’s so tough for you, can you move at all? Probably a silly question. I couldn’t afford to move out of where I live but I am fortunate as it is mostly lovely. A nearby town is very rough indeed and there are a lot of drugs, but crime, on the whole, is fairly low. It’s tough to live somewhere you don’t love, I hope you find a way out.

Do you ever come back to visit uk? You can see for yourself….. all around me, I see happy healthy people getting on with life…. Obviously any country has its challenges as we have in the UK but on balance, I consider myself very lucky. I live where my family and I have lived all my life (in the UK) but I have travelled extensively and have never wanted to move away. I like British people and I even like the weather!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y0el00j75o

Don't suppose you know about this?

I know it's not the ME, but we'll be moving to there eventually. 0% income tax, success and hard work rewarded. Can't wait. Husband already works extensively with ME clients and has been offered to relocate already.

I was rather excited to see that where I live, well on the outskirts of said place, is listed as one of the ten worst places to live in the UK!!!! Yes!!!!!! I finally won something #blessed

Honestly what a joke. Where are these “Swallows and Amazons” UK utopias that you are all living in? Please let us know so we can all move there.

Just read in the news about a 14 year old girl being raped by 2 Afghans on a train from Kent to London.

In what other country (aside from some seriously f*cked up place that is 400 years behind the rest of us) do you need to warn your children about being gang raped on a train, or stabbed when walking down the street?

Answer: just the UK I think.

I've lived around the world and don't like it here - anymore.

Do people seriously think that Government stats can't be manipulated? Any Government's aim is to remain in charge. But of course, no Government has ever lied to the electorate have they........🙄

One thing I will say is that a great deal of the malaise, including financial, in the UK is caused by Brexit. The politicians don’t want to talk about it, especially as there is no easy answer and it’s a thorny issue. Outside of the UK, it’s widely understood that this is one of the main issues. It’s also the reason we’ve had so many prime ministers since, it’s since Brexit. It has weakened us very, very significantly.

Basically the people who say the country has gone to the dogs are either far right, because it suits their narrative, or poor sods who live in left behind places like Blackpool or Middlesbrough.

Youve explained that very well!!! Smaller and smaller group of tax payers carrying the burden of more and more need. The taxes just go up and up and here is literally nothing to show for it.

Nope. A smallish city.
And according to the ONS, UK wages are currently rising faster than prices, meaning workers are seeing modest gains in pay even adjusted for inflation.
Average regular pay (excluding bonuses) grew by 3.5% year-on-year in the three months to June, while total pay including bonuses rose by 4.1%. Headline consumer price inflation was 2.9% year on year up to July.
So real pay is experiencing a small positive increase.