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Original poster

How do you rate the standard of living in the UK?

220 replies

Socci · 02/03/2006 19:55

Today my mum said that she would consider migration to another country if she was younger because she feels that the standard of living in this country is not good enough and is getting worse.

What is your view on this? What do you think is good compared with other places in the world? What would you change?

My uncle emigrated to Australia about 30 years ago and he and his wife have never been completely happy.

So is it a case of the grass is always greener?

OP posts:
Mosschops30 · 02/03/2006 20:04

I think the standard of living in this country is dreadful.

Hopefully we shall be moving to Australia as soon as I qualify.
I hate it here!

Original poster
Socci · 02/03/2006 20:08

Really Mosschops? How interesting. What do you hate about it here most? What do you prefer about Australia?

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 02/03/2006 20:09

I honestly don't know what people mean by "the standard of living". And I say this as a Canadian, someone who's moved from somewhere with a (theoretically) great standard of living, to the UK.

Running a car here is expensive (but I hate cars). Restaurants suck. The weather is sometimes a bit grey.

Back home, cars are cheaper, and big houses are cheaper. But I like high-density life and no cars. And it's never really that cold here, at least. And we get reasonable quality produce, reasonably cheap.

tiredemma · 02/03/2006 20:10

I think it depends where you live. For example, we live in one of the largest cities in the UK and tbh, its pretty grim.

But dp's family live in a lovely market town, everything is "quaint" and we could quite happily live there for the rest of our days.

expatinscotland · 02/03/2006 20:10

The standard of living here is poor on the whole, especially in relation to the cost of living and inequality in housing. Sorry, but that's just my 2p.

Mosschops30 · 02/03/2006 20:11

Where do i start:

the nanny state mentality
people telling me i cant smoke in a pub
the terrible immigrant situation
school system/education in general
nhs
general rudeness and disrespect to others
weather
poor pay and working conditions
household billing
housing in general
government shite

Original poster
Socci · 02/03/2006 20:12

That's fine expat - don't be sorry and I'm inclined to agree. I often wonder how much worse it will be by the time dh and I are old...

OP posts:
tiredemma · 02/03/2006 20:13

agree with expat- social housing in the UK is quite frankly, disgusting.

To think that we are one of the richest nations on earth and yet we have approx 2 million children living in poverty, in inadequate housing is a disgrace. that pisses me off.

kama · 02/03/2006 20:13

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chicagomum · 02/03/2006 20:15

I think we also tend to suffer from "the grass is greener..." syndrome a lot of the time.

NotQuiteCockney · 02/03/2006 20:22

I'd agree that the social housing situation here (from what I know) is bad. I'd like the state to take better care of poor people, and have better state education and a better-funded NHS.

I'm very very happy about the no-smoking in pubs thing, though.

And as an immigrant, I can hardly complain about there being a lot of immigrants here! Anyway, I like living in a multi-cultural society (and if you don't, Australia is not the place to go - I think they're up there with Canada in % of population being from other countries!).

Rudeness and disrespect are universal, from what I know.

NotQuiteCockney · 02/03/2006 20:23

kama, what do you mean, the education in Norway is at a very low level? (Not picking a fight, I know very little about Scandinavian education.)

lunavix · 02/03/2006 20:23

I lived here for the first thirteen years of my life, and then moved to australia with my family.

I moved back when I was 19 (missed it) and hate it. It's cold, it's miserable, rent is far too dear - the quality of life is sooooo much better out there.

Mosschops30 · 02/03/2006 20:25

I am not complaining about immigrants being here.

What does annoy me is families that come here to use the nhs or claim benefits and have no intention of contributing to the economy.
On the other side of the coin, families who come to live here legitimately are often housed so poorly its disgusting, I dont know how people get away with it, I have seen some dreadful housing situations that make me want to weep.

NotQuiteCockney · 02/03/2006 20:26

Sorry, Mosschops, I misunderstood you, re: immigrants.

I don't know how many people come here to use benefits or the NHS. I thought UK immigration was pretty tough.

HRHQueenOfQuotes · 02/03/2006 20:30

Oh dear another of those that believe the Daily Mail and The Sun, those immigrants who do come to abuse the system are very much in the minority.

But in Australia the biggest culprits for working illegaly are.....................................

\link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4226949.stm\the Brits}!!!

LIZS · 02/03/2006 20:36

Depends what you determine as factors in standard of living. Swiss cities for example score highly on quality of life polls due to things like public transport, health care (private), low unemployment, cleanliness, low taxation etc but the attitude towards refugees and immigration is questionable, there is a high divorce rate, low birth rate, low rate of property owner/occupiership, few non-smoking areas, minimal subsidised housing etc.

It is easy to see the rosy picture and overlook some of the downsides. I've known Australians struggle to repatriate because of rising property prices, high risk of unemployment in key industries and so on.

twinsetandpearls · 02/03/2006 20:44

I love England but yearn to see other places but my dp is very unhappy with the standard of living here. He has wnated to emmigrate for quite some time, we will eventually when I have completed the things here I need to do before setting up a new life abroad.

kama · 02/03/2006 20:47

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kama · 02/03/2006 20:47

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kama · 02/03/2006 20:49

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melissasmummy · 02/03/2006 20:55

I have to agree with mosschops.

I don't think that the fact that some foriegn women can fly here, have a baby in our hospitals on the NHS, using our resources & then fly back to their own country a few days later. BUT there are masses amounts of people unable to get dentistry on the NHS & we have a shortage of nurses & midwives for our patients, let alone those who see us as a free health service to all & sundry.

melissasmummy · 02/03/2006 20:56

Sorry, should have added, that's why wea re emigrating to Oz this year!

Original poster
Socci · 02/03/2006 20:57

There seem to be quite a few people who would consider emigrating to Australia. I had thought it was quite a difficult process to go through relatively?

OP posts:
PeachyClair · 02/03/2006 20:58

I could complain but in reality the vast majority of people are fed, warm and housed. Compared to so many nations that's not bad at all. The chances of being born (or coming to live) here compared to being born in a sewer / hovel somewhere under a military regime or bankrupt state is slim and we should rejoice.