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

[Socci]

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?

I think if we aligned ourselves more with Europe than America then the UK would be better. I do think it is a good place to live but we are becoming so consumerist it scares me. Europe seems to have a much more family oriented, natural way of life which we should embrace, especially as Britain is part of Europe and only a stones throw from France. Why do we continually copy the US and embrace that dreadful, dreadful culture when they are sodding miles away - I don't get it!

Thanks Soopermum.

As someone who went to a Bog standard comprehensive school in a working class area and who still ended up gaining a PhD in chemistry from university, this national past time to slag off state education in Britain really gets on my nerves. Too many people in this country do not realise what a glorious country the UK is in terms of educational opportunities for those who want it, free NHS, plenty of work around for those who want it, cultural enrichment leisure activities, beautiful countryside and historic cities, monuments etc.

If those of you moaning want to see real poverty or a real paucity of opportunity to make life better for yourself, go to most of the countries in Africa or poor parts of Jamaica where my parents are from. If after seeing that and you are still whinging, then IMHO, you need help.

Good point Speedy.
You are so right.
In desperately poor Kurdistan where I live,am stopped regularly on the street by complete strangers asking me to help them get visas into Britain.
They would do anything to have an iota of the opportunities the average Brit has.

Moondog, that is what happened with my cousin. He came to live with my mother in the late 60's, went to night school whilst doing low paid work during the day. After passing O'levels and A'levels he went to university to read Chemical Engineering and thenn did a PhD. After he was made redundant in the 90s, he is now back in Jamaica working on national projects to improve the management of waste water on the whole island. He is able to do this because of the provision of adult education classes in the UK. People in this country need to open their eyes and start appreciating what they have.

moondog, even if those people do get the visa, they WONT have an iota of the opportunities the average Brit has.

speedymama, your post is not out of tune with what OzJo posted earlier, or myself. UK offers a lot in the way of education, first job etc, but it lacks community values, safety and pleasant environment that you get in other countries.

I would be amazed if a Kurdish (or other) immigrant or refugee into the UK ever obtains the opportunities that a Brit. has from birth.

Having known quite a number of refugees from various parts of the world, I am quite certain that they do not have the same opportunities.

However, many do come to the UK to escape poltical repression, and at least we can give them safety.

Yes,agree with all three of you.
Anyone read Polly Toynbee's 'Hard Work'?

yes, I have!

Have you read the American equivalent 'Nickle and Dimed'?
She has just done a new one,exposing the corporate world and its grimy emplyment procedures.

Personally for us, DH's work life balance is wrong. He works very long hours and its expected of him, so he cant actually change it. We are looking at emigrating to austalia, we have traveled there for 4 months before and from what we seen and from talking to people the work life balance is a lot better in oz.

i've read 'nickeled and dimed'. i've been working poor in both nations. unfortunately, the differences aren't all that great, but that's capitalism for ya .

Moondog, I've read Hard Work. Made me think twice about a lot of things I take for granted, and am very glad I do not have to work the hours she did to make enough just to scrape by on. Excellent read, would recommend it.

Hi,

first post on this site!!

I get so used to hearing people tell me how terrible UK is that I don't even flinch anymore even though I think it make me quite sad. It's a wonderful place in so many ways. I love living where I live ....10 mins drive away from open countryside and beuatiful hills, not far from Exmoor. We are lucky enough to live in a small town where everyone seems to know everyone else - can be a bit claustrophobic but it also means that people are generally friendly. We live in a street where all the kids can play out together which is fantastic. I lost my daughter once (or I though I did) and all the adults in the street were out looking for her within minutes. I work 30 hours a week (school hours)and 2 days at home so I can spend more time with my son. We aren't hugely well off but we have a roof over our heads, heating, electricity, running water, clothing and food. We feel safe living where we live. If any of us get sick there is help there...the NHS has it's problems but the basic principle of health care free at the point of need is amazing when you think about it. Maybe we're lucky but our 2 eldest children go to a good primary school and are happy and secure there.

I have nothing to compare it with as I've never lived abroad but I do get the impression that life is expensive. I look at what I have to spend to keep us ticking over and it horrifies me. But I chose to work part-time (as the main breadwinner) to improve our quality of life so some sacrificies in standard of living is to be expected.

I think that many of the problems that people see in the UK only really exist in some areas. It's basically a good place to live.

Kate

Welcome Joelalie - great post! We are very lucky in this country. We are not well off either but we have enough. I was fuming last year when we had problems with child tax credits and had to pay some back but when I stopped and thought about it I realised that it had happened because we were above the poverty level and realised that was fair enough. It's there for the neediest and though it would help (how couldn't it?) we can do without it. I'm beginning to try and do more for the community. I used to find it difficult to approach people I didn't know and not talk to my neighbours but I've forced myself to get over it and also smiling at people if we catch each others eye on the bus and if I'm in a bad mood I no longer take it out on others. It really has helped improve the quality of my life - and the people I live with

joelalie,
the problems that people see exist only in some areas, that is true. Trouble is, the jobs only exist in different areas.

I have left UK because, while I could struggle on there, and get my children into a decent school etc - why should I, when life is so much easier in France?

I love the UK but... to answer LGJ's question from waaay back on this thread... i'm going back to canada only to give it a go and given our current equity situation and the fact that I hate my career, it makes sense for us.

I don't think for a minute the quality of life or the standard of living is much better in Canada but, financially, it might make more sense.

going back to my job. As we all know, the UK is expensive. Great place but expensive.

I've got a job that successfully supports my family... but I hate it because my life is not my own. i work very long hours, i'm continually working from home in the evenings and I'm starting to have certain requirements set upon me which really affect my home life and my marriage.

This sucks and it's not me. I have three choices. 1. Quit and take a lower position with a lower wage (not entirely feasable given the cost of living in the UK.

1. Go into business for myself where I'm in control... but that takes a great deal of building up before I can expect a decent income.

1. Sell up and go back to Canada to try something new and possibly re-train or get into something that suits me a bit better, with the idea that I might come back.

and as for cost of living. it's still lower in OZ and Canada but this won't last.

The commonwealth countries have enjoyed a very very very very very long honeymoon when it comes to cost of living.

times have changed and the cost of living is very quickly catching up to the UK.

The world is a very small place now.

It's worth noting that Australia isn't, by any means, the only country that has a hard time treating its aboriginal people well. (I don't know much about Australia.)

Canada has really been horrible to the amerindians, and they're still pretty thoroughly stuffed. Because a few tribes have done well out of gambling, mining or cigarettes (and even then, the tribal council generally gets all the cash, not the individuals, iyswim), many Canadians believe Natives are rich and spoiled and given better treatment than the white folks. When in fact, they form a third-world country within Canada. Bad addiction problems, crushing poverty, cultural collapse, and really really really bad racism against them, in the areas they live in.

didn't the canadian gov't give you a financial reward for killing off a native not even 100 years ago.

kind of a hard to thing to apologise for. They've been shafted up, down and all around.

I didn't know that, DC, but it certainly doesn't sound surprising.

The old South African government based their "townships" model on Canada's Reservations. Charmingly enough.