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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Having just been in the UK for an extended period, I was shocked by the levels of xenophobia readily expressed by otherwise polite people in casual and friendly conversation. It was shocking and uncomfortable. It is clear why so many ordinary British voted for Brexit. They are insular and can’t help it, even when it’s not in their best interest. They didn’t want to see foreigners living and working in their country, even though they desperately need the labor to stimulate their economy and provide for their overwhelmingly aged population.

The other observation was that the country seems to have no functioning infrastructure or civil society. Roads closed everywhere. Airports overwhelmed. Can’t get an ambulance or MRI to save your life in an emergency. The whole place felt on the brink of disaster, because it is. But I guess that’s what the British wanted, and they now have it, so I hope they’re happy. [/quote]

Agree on the parochialism of many Brits. Not sure about nonfunctioning infrastructure though. The UK was not alone in experiencing problems at airports with the post Covid travel surge, although I had no problems or waits the four times I went through airports there in August. Certainly didn’t notice a lot of road closures anywhere I drove. Yes, there were some train strikes but that’s business as usual. [/quote]

Right, but in my experience it goes far beyond airports, and is especially obvious in the countryside. The roads are in very poor shape. Friends tell tales of schools closing for a couple of days here and there because the facilities literally break down. I heard a lawyer on the radio complaining about the sad state of the judicial system, with prosecutors quitting en masse because of low wages, and a pipe opening in the ceiling in the courthouse and spilling sewage. And the NHS is a disaster, there is no hospital space, and ambulances literally wait hours outside ERs before being allowed to unload critical care patients. And still they are calling for budget cuts to reduce public spending. I don’t know if all of this is a direct result of Brexit (probably not), but the country is a mess. It is always such a relief to be back in Continental Europe where things run much more smoothly than in the UK (even though there are plenty of problems of course; the UK is just that bad). [/quote]

Yeah, the NHS is a bit of a disaster especially after 12 years of conservative rule: ageing population, underfunding, staff shortages and bearing the burden of falls in social care. Some relates to demographic trends and the impact of the pandemic taxing a system that is already at breaking point. Some is brexit related - ending freedom of movement means the UK’s now having to poach medical staff from poorer countries in Africa and Asia and funding will get even tighter now the brexit’s long term economic impact is becoming clearer. Much also reflects ongoing funding problems. The UK government spends far less per head on medical care than other major countries in Europe and has reduced funding for social and home care (by 31% from 2010 to 2018). It means patients who should be discharged from hospital get stuck there and clog up the system with effects like ambulances being unable to unload patients.

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