Brexitwife When services & infracstructure are badly managed and underfunded for decades, they cost more just to try to keep up.
Rather like neglecting repairs & maintenance of a house - it then becomes far more expensive to run and some repairs are unaffordable, so it problems can spiral.
One issue with the UK budget is that - even after all that austerity - it runs at about 5% defiict annually.
i.e. the govt spends 5% more than it earns and has to borrow to fill the gap.
I read that the annual interest on the National Debt is nearly as big as the Defence Budget
re your relatives in France:
Maybe there are different exemptions on certain sources of income in France, because the UK does have lower income tax than most other W European countries
BUT
it may be that other countries tax their higher earners more and the majority of the population less
iirc, France put its top rate up to 70% under President Hollande and the top rate is still higher than in the UK.
I live in Germany - definitely a higher % than in the UK, but pay is higher too, at least for scientists.
Far better public services & infrastructure.
I'm puzzled at the double taxation you described, because I pay tax on all my worldwide income here, not just what I earn in Germany;
when I receive the UK state pension, I'll pay German tax on that too.
Since I sold my flat, I no longer have any income that is liable for UK tax, according to HMRC
My German tax accountant checks & signs it all off, so I'm paying correctly in Germany too.