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!

I bet you live in Dubai, home to homophobia

Have you looked at the job market?

IMO safety and standard of living are directly linked to wealth, regardless of where in the world you live.
For example, I don’t need to walk anywhere alone at night because I have enough money to afford safe, reliable transport. Accidents still happen of course, but I am fundamentally safer than any woman who has no other choice than to walk alone at night, in any country.
I have enough money to access good housing stock in a low crime area, to pay for education and enrichment opportunities for DC, to access private healthcare if needed, meaning I could have a pretty good life in almost any country in the world.
If you want those things for free, then the UK isn’t perfect, probably isn’t as good as it used to be but is still a decent bet.

In England?! All we see on the news and everywhere, it's shocking

Where are you that’s so wonderful? Bet it’s got issues he’s overlooking

I don't think we'll be singing Kumbaya, but I also think that those who are causing misery in the lives of many are the same people telling us to hate and blame others. People feel squeezed and that there is no money. There is plenty of money, it has been hoovered up by billionaires. If they paid people properly and were taxed effectively there would be money and people would feel much better about their lives and their prospects.

This is exactly me. I think some people who think it’s a mess and are desperate to leave need to try leaving and see how they feel. Over the years we had friends who went to Qatar and came home, others went to Spain and came home, others went to Australia and came home. We also left due to work and guess what? We came home! When you actually live elsewhere you realise that good old Blighty isn’t all that bad and that many of our issues are worldwide issues because things across the world are difficult right now!

These are issues in pretty much the entire Western world. Britain isn't uniquely awful. Exact details vary from place to place but just about every country in Europe and the English speaking world has similar problems.

Shocking in what way?

The unreliable public transport shocked me when I repatriated. I had forgotten.

I agree and don't and would never live there

Where is this alternative perfect paradise?

Do you have the legal right to return to the UK with your DC without your H’s permission?

Do you have the right to work and remain there without your H?

If not and you’re essentially trapped then IMO that’s a much bigger concern than deciding where you’d prefer to live long term.

Oh come on? Surely you must know that what you see on the news is on the news because it is remarkable, not the norm? You don't judge crime rates by counting what you read on news headlines.

The news you're watching is biased bullshit. Crime has been falling for two decades, with fraud the only exception. See Crime in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics

Depends where you are now.

The UK is fucked in many ways. It feels like a completely different country to only 8-10 years ago.

What do your family say who you want to be closer to? I wouldn't believe everything I hear on the news. In fact some days I wouldn't believe anything I hear on the news!

Nowhere is perfect but home is where the heart is and I wouldn't live anywhere else. I live on the outskirts of a small city and never feel unsafe. Hey even Prince H is coming back so it can't be that bad.

Are you in a happy and healthy marriage @Chippednailtoepolish ?

Of course not. One of those threads where the poster will be incredibly coy about the wonderful perfect place they live in, as if it was some high security secret. They just want you to know how awful Britain is. Because 'DH' said so.

Soain and Portugal

My husband says the same. We are making plans to leave like many people we know. We are tri nationals so have a few good options with ease.

I used to be an expat, 4 countries and 18 years overseas.

My DH was adamant that we would stay in the UK forever now but a few days ago he said the same thing, that the UK is f*cked and we should think about leaving when the DC are all past Uni. The biggest thing for him is the tax.

The crime rate in London has been falling

I am on the SE. Good job, both children thriving and happy at fab schools, love in a beautiful market town but within 40 mins of London. Sunbathing in my lovely garden as I write this .

i absolutely do NOT think England is “fucked”

It depends where you live. NHS being a case in point. I went to collect some medication from the pharmacy at the gp’s on Friday last week and then asked to make an appointment. Asked my symptoms which I described (very severe period pain) , I was given an appointment that afternoon so three hours later. Described symptoms, gp said she’d do a gynaecologist referral but I said I had bupa. She dictated me a referral letter there and then and the surgery texted me yesterday to collect the letter.

By all means move back, as long as you won’t need to use the NHS, the education system, the police, an ambulance, or the ability to afford housing and food beyond very basic levels.