UK low well being
Discussion
Happiness surveys usually show the UK as quite a good place to live. However a recent study that looked at lots of different factors showed a very different result:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/apr/30/uk...
Anecdotally I get the impression from what my daughter tells me about herself and her friends that there may be some truth in the survey. Despite the relative wealth of the UK the younger generation are feeling a bit lost and without much hope for the future.
Your thoughts and experiences?
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/apr/30/uk...
Anecdotally I get the impression from what my daughter tells me about herself and her friends that there may be some truth in the survey. Despite the relative wealth of the UK the younger generation are feeling a bit lost and without much hope for the future.
Your thoughts and experiences?
Jasandjules said:
We have Starmer as a PM, a Govt that seems to hate this country and is hell bent ruining us and p***ng billions on Net Zero and sending it to other countries whilst taxing us to pay for it. How can anyone be happy?
Conversely, it seems it's caused by a widening gap between rich and poor, the sense that young people joining the workplace will never own their own home and be forever at the mercy of BTL landlords, poor job security, a lack of a sense of safety in public places. But of course, it all Starmer's fault, he single-handedly caused all that in less than a year in No10. You wouldn't think it possible, after all, not even Trump has f
ked up quite so much, so quickly. P-Jay said:
Conversely, it seems it's caused by a widening gap between rich and poor, the sense that young people joining the workplace will never own their own home and be forever at the mercy of BTL landlords, poor job security, a lack of a sense of safety in public places.
But of course, it all Starmer's fault, he single-handedly caused all that in less than a year in No10. You wouldn't think it possible, after all, not even Trump has fked up quite so much, so quickly.
No matter how hard you work, how hard you try, how hard you study and achieve you are seeing hoardes of freeloaders being handed money and houses and prestige cars on a plate.But of course, it all Starmer's fault, he single-handedly caused all that in less than a year in No10. You wouldn't think it possible, after all, not even Trump has f
ked up quite so much, so quickly. By working hard and contributing you are taxed no end.
The tax money isn't then benefitting the country or you its being wasted on b
ks.The drive for electric cars and the UK trying to save the planet whilst China, Russia, India and god knows where else pumps out smoke and all sorts into the air.
Taxes, on top of taxes on top of taxes. Its all gone a bit far to be fair. Easy to see the reasons.
The government seem hell bent on turning what previously would have been a good income into a poor income and in many cases a poor income into an unmanageable one. Hell, even incomes that previously would have been classed as great incomes, have turned into purely good incomes. We`ve recently re located back here from an income tax free environment and whilst I`m happy we made the move and the time was right, I wonder if its even possible to be any higher taxed. I guess we are still reacclimatising. Before we moved all income was through dividends but that train has now left the station.
We all have to take responsibility for our own well being though don`t we. The environment we create for ourselves. For instance we are very careful what news we consume, actually, scrub that we are very careful what we consume from top to bottom, be it media, food and drink and all things consumerism.
What I`m trying to say pretty un-eloquently is for gods sake don`t rely on your well being from the government and whatever the current economic status quo is. It`s a hiding to nowhere. Today it`s 25 degrees, I`m in rural Wiltshire with a fantastic view, peace and quiet, and working from home. I`m immensely lucky and economics have very little to do with that.
We all have to take responsibility for our own well being though don`t we. The environment we create for ourselves. For instance we are very careful what news we consume, actually, scrub that we are very careful what we consume from top to bottom, be it media, food and drink and all things consumerism.
What I`m trying to say pretty un-eloquently is for gods sake don`t rely on your well being from the government and whatever the current economic status quo is. It`s a hiding to nowhere. Today it`s 25 degrees, I`m in rural Wiltshire with a fantastic view, peace and quiet, and working from home. I`m immensely lucky and economics have very little to do with that.
My grown up kids have no hope.
My eldest is on a minimum wage, 16 hours contract but mainly does 40 odd hours a week.
Student loan to pay off and is living 200 miles away as the rent is a little cheaper, not by much.
She was homeless despite working, for a while, when she would be viewing flats to rent with 50 to 100 people all desperately offering more than the advertised cost.
Most of her friends are in the same boat. Minimum wage on low hours contracts. Most went to University.
A couple who were very clever and did 'proper' degrees have managed to find better paid decent careers in engineering.
It's quite depressing.
I left home to rent a flat, run a car and a motorbike, in London in the early 80s.
I don't remember the cost of anything being a problem.
I spent most of that decade driving vans, getting between £300 and £500 a week.
A quick look online and you'd be lucky to get that now for the same job.........over 40 years later.
My eldest is on a minimum wage, 16 hours contract but mainly does 40 odd hours a week.
Student loan to pay off and is living 200 miles away as the rent is a little cheaper, not by much.
She was homeless despite working, for a while, when she would be viewing flats to rent with 50 to 100 people all desperately offering more than the advertised cost.
Most of her friends are in the same boat. Minimum wage on low hours contracts. Most went to University.
A couple who were very clever and did 'proper' degrees have managed to find better paid decent careers in engineering.
It's quite depressing.
I left home to rent a flat, run a car and a motorbike, in London in the early 80s.
I don't remember the cost of anything being a problem.
I spent most of that decade driving vans, getting between £300 and £500 a week.
A quick look online and you'd be lucky to get that now for the same job.........over 40 years later.
Jasandjules said:
We have Starmer as a PM, a Govt that seems to hate this country and is hell bent ruining us and p***ng billions on Net Zero and sending it to other countries whilst taxing us to pay for it. How can anyone be happy?
Yep. Nothing I have seen from Starmer or his cronies makes me think anything other than he hates the British people.
Jasandjules said:
We have Starmer as a PM, a Govt that seems to hate this country and is hell bent ruining us and p***ng billions on Net Zero and sending it to other countries whilst taxing us to pay for it. How can anyone be happy?
FYI - it's the young that want net zero targets achieved... mostly old gits that don't..."YouGov polling data indicates a trend of support for net zero targets, but with variations across age groups. Younger people tend to show higher support for net zero goals compared to older generations. Specific figures vary by survey, but more than half of Britons express support for the net zero target"
HTH
Not surprised, we get taxed to high heaven and get nothing in return for our high levels of tax. The youth have a slim chance of ever owning their house, only way they can manage is if they earn a good wage or they plough most of their money into it, with very little to do anything else.
Cost of doing things is ridiculous now too, look at the price of a pint, people can barely afford to go out once every couple of weeks, they used to be out every night or every other night.
God knows what the solution is, I got fed up of doing 60 hour weeks just to pay it all off in tax, just do my basic hours and a bit more now, that's enough for me to get by.
Cost of doing things is ridiculous now too, look at the price of a pint, people can barely afford to go out once every couple of weeks, they used to be out every night or every other night.
God knows what the solution is, I got fed up of doing 60 hour weeks just to pay it all off in tax, just do my basic hours and a bit more now, that's enough for me to get by.
jontysafe said:
It`s 25 degrees, I`m in rural Wiltshire with a fantastic view, peace and quiet, and working from home. I`m immensely lucky and economics have very little to do with that.
Unless I'm miss reading that economics are playing a part.Would you be feeling lucky with no dosh, living in city centre, hellhole, bedsit?
STe_rsv4 said:
Jasandjules said:
We have Starmer as a PM, a Govt that seems to hate this country and is hell bent ruining us and p***ng billions on Net Zero and sending it to other countries whilst taxing us to pay for it. How can anyone be happy?
This in spades. jontysafe said:
The government seem hell bent on turning what previously would have been a good income into a poor income and in many cases a poor income into an unmanageable one. Hell, even incomes that previously would have been classed as great incomes, have turned into purely good incomes. We`ve recently re located back here from an income tax free environment and whilst I`m happy we made the move and the time was right, I wonder if its even possible to be any higher taxed. I guess we are still reacclimatising. Before we moved all income was through dividends but that train has now left the station.
We all have to take responsibility for our own well being though don`t we. The environment we create for ourselves. For instance we are very careful what news we consume, actually, scrub that we are very careful what we consume from top to bottom, be it media, food and drink and all things consumerism.
What I`m trying to say pretty un-eloquently is for gods sake don`t rely on your well being from the government and whatever the current economic status quo is. It`s a hiding to nowhere. Today it`s 25 degrees, I`m in rural Wiltshire with a fantastic view, peace and quiet, and working from home. I`m immensely lucky and economics have very little to do with that.
You'll find that wellbeing is linked to government policy when, as has been described, you're doing all that you can and still have zero quality of life, not just the current incumbents but they seem to be doing a great job of making things worse, I'm also fortunate in the same ways that you are, a lot aren't, so it would be wise not to project your idyllic circumstances as if it were the norm.We all have to take responsibility for our own well being though don`t we. The environment we create for ourselves. For instance we are very careful what news we consume, actually, scrub that we are very careful what we consume from top to bottom, be it media, food and drink and all things consumerism.
What I`m trying to say pretty un-eloquently is for gods sake don`t rely on your well being from the government and whatever the current economic status quo is. It`s a hiding to nowhere. Today it`s 25 degrees, I`m in rural Wiltshire with a fantastic view, peace and quiet, and working from home. I`m immensely lucky and economics have very little to do with that.
Huzzah said:
jontysafe said:
It`s 25 degrees, I`m in rural Wiltshire with a fantastic view, peace and quiet, and working from home. I`m immensely lucky and economics have very little to do with that.
Unless I'm miss reading that economics are playing a part.Would you be feeling lucky with no dosh, living in city centre, hellhole, bedsit?
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