Adding this general topic for sharing relevant UK issues, concerns and insights.
I am really curious to see how things are going for our friends in the U.K.
I came upon this BBC News article today which made me think of the continued visions and "pulling" I had during August-October concerning how difficult things could become for the UK. A sense that it would be similar to the challenges people faced during World War 2 in the UK. Scarcity with food, clothing and essential need product rationing.
I am becoming aware that things are difficult right now in the UK and sense this might be the case for some time before turning around again and I do believe it will turn, just not right now,
I hope our UK friends can give us some perspective of what life is like in the UK right now. While rising prices have been concerning in the US, it appears the UK a challenge as well as affording food. If so, is this typical for all of the UK or just certain areas?
Sending out a lot of love to living in the British Isles. I have a sense that getting through the winter will be easier when working together to solve hardships. Creating warming stations, sharing food items or creating soups which can be shared and bartering skills. Checking in with neighbors seems essential. Togetherness.
There is light even in the most trying of times. May we all remember to find and share that light.
The UK faces its biggest drop in living standards on record as the surging cost of living eats into people's wages.
The government's forecaster said that household incomes - once rising prices were taken into account - would dive by 7% in the next few years.
It also expects the number of people who are unemployed to rise by more than 500,000.
It came as the chancellor said the UK was already in recession and set to shrink further next year.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63659936
Bless you @lovendures for creating this topic.
Sometimes I do feel a bit lonely across the pond from you all here in the UK with regards to our issues.
This subject is quite a difficult one for me to express, because there is so much to say and I don't know how to explain without getting angry and upset.
All I can say for now, is that the situation is incredibly complex and difficult for millions of people in the UK.
Some of the suffering that is happening breaks my heart.
But for now, my family and I are doing okay. We are trying to be sensible with our heating and when we use it for example, and where we buy certain goods from. I think it is important for me to say that I am extremely grateful for everything that we have and how we are managing.
I may come back to this topic at a later time to elaborate more on the situation in the UK.
I was thinking of you when I opened this topic. I saw the response the Canadian thread had and hoped some of our UK members and lurkers might post.
I have spent a lot of time in the UK and my daughter got a masters degree in England the year before the pandemic hit. My great-grandparents were born there. Pre-Covid, my parents would travel there 2 times a year and when they returned this past summer after their first Post-Covid visit, they discussed many changes they had noted. (London, Manchester, Sheffield and some other towns).
In the U.S. things are tight for many people, but it seems a whole other level of concern is happening in the U.K.
I am glad you are managing fairly well right now. May this holiday season b3 filled with joy and light for you and your family.
P.S. Would love to know the differences in how you or people you know celebrate Boxing Day vs. Christmas. My daughter was home during her year abroad for Christmas so she did now experience those holidays. She did however experience Christmas markets in the Yorkshire areas and LOVED them. She also LOVED Guy Fox day in the fall. She had never experienced anything like it.
@luminous please tell us your thoughts as you can, and feel led. We want to know. We are here for you.
I am going to start my post with the more positive stuff about the UK first.
We have lots of great things here in the UK that I'm sure many of you would love. We have great Pubs all over the UK for you to come and eat and drink. We also have our traditional Fish and Chips, Sausage Rolls, Chocolate, Tea, Scones, Crumpets, Roast Dinners and Haggis (if you are in Scotland). Like America, we have quite a diverse culture. There is also some great historical Castles, villages, Churches and Cathedrals to visit
Now onto the more negative situation in the UK.
The situation in the UK as it stands, is dire and really bad. I can't emphasise that more.
The Conservatives who have been in power for 12 years have wrecked public services and the economy.
We used to be a shining beacon in the world for our universal healthcare but it has been grossly underfunded and poorly looked after by the Conservatives. Many have speculated that their agenda has been to deliberately underfund it so that the system falls apart and is no longer fit for purpose. They want to privatise it and bring in US health insurance providers (which was one of deals that was discussed with Trump as part of a US-UK trade deal when he was president) and make everyone pay for insurance.
Healthcare is really important because without an adequate healthcare system you have many people sick and with long-term illness which can destroy your workforce and be disastrous for the economy - all of this is what is happening now - see here: https://www.itv.com/news/2022-11-15/mystery-around-massive-half-a-million-increase-in-long-term-sick
When the previous Labour government handed over the NHS to the Conservatives in 2010, the healthcare system was in good standing and had good diagnostics and treatment and there were no delays or lack of funding. 12 years later, and the nurses and doctors are now leaving in droves due to inadequate pay and poor working conditions, the backlogs for both treatment and diagnostic tests are the worst they have ever been, the system is buckling under extreme pressures and people are dying and suffering in pain because they can't get treatment and ambulance services cannot get to people for hours and hours - see here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/12-hours-ambulance-front-line-b2140774.html and here: https://news.sky.com/story/woman-angrily-confronts-health-secretary-over-people-dying-due-to-lengthy-ambulance-waits-12681423
It's late and my eyes are going a bit funny.
The edit button timed out so apologies for typos in that post. I meant to say my dad had suffered 1 stroke and a brain bleed. Not sure how I managed to mistype the letter d for h. Bleh.
@luminous It's horrible to learn how your health care system, which was born out our your country's desire to care for each other after WWII, has been systematically dismantled. What causes some powerful politicians to become destroyers, chipping away at major institutions that people come to rely on and trust? It's disgusting. Your sadness and fears for your family are understandable!
I think of Ecclesiastes. "To everything there is a season...a time to build up, a time to break down." We seem to be living through an era of breaking down. Jeanne has seen that. I think something similar is happening in the US with our educational system. I hope and pray we don't lose our system of public education. But we very well could.
We can only hope that what is eventually built back, is better.
Very insightful. Yes, seems we have been in a breakdown faze. I hope the building up faze gains traction.
Sorry to hear health care is now such an issue. What a dramatic change. Health care is so important. I still can't believe we have't fixed our VA health system. That has been a disgrace here in the U.S.