One word to describe the U.K.

Helsinki is beautiful TiggyW, not sure how long you spent there.

Unsafe

Verdant.
We’ve just returned from a Scandinavian/Baltic cruise. No flowers in the gardens, just grass. Very boring. They have good health services but taxes are high, including VAT. Perhaps high taxes are the answer here…
Only Switzerland, Austria, Norway or New Zealand could challenge our Lake District for beauty. Helsinki and Copenhagen were interesting but not beautiful. Stockholm reminded me of the Norfolk Broads. Canada is too cold, Kuwait and Israel are too hot.
Happiness to me is a beautiful country!

Home

How about Forsaken? By any form of decent principled government, our wonderful Queen has gone, nobody is speaking out against the persistent constant unchallenged invasion of people with a very different agenda and attitude to ours.
And of course, it’s Home.

The UK is now I think compared to a third world country.
And I’m sorry but if you think it’s not you haven’t visited or stayed in any European countries.

I have stayed in Holland (I’m half Dutch) Belgium and Germany and they are all wonderful countries to live in.

The Netherlands in particular have fantastic infrastructure and are very forward thinking.

You will also never see a hole in any road.

When my family come here to visit me, I live in Scotland at the moment, I am embarrassed at the roads and the general look of the place.

I hope against hope that a change in government can mean better things for all of us staying in the UK. Fingers crossed.

Whitewavemark2

Newsnight last night a focus group bod “more in common” said that the word most used when asked to describe the U.K. it was

BROKEN

What is yours?

Mine would be broken.

Definitely BROKEN.

Wrecked

Home

Betrayed

NotSpaghetti

The UK may still be a good place to live, grandMattie.. but it's not the happiest!
Not according to the 2024 William Russell happiness report. This considers lots of evidence such as perceptions of the environment, friendliness, safety, and inclusion.

Here's the list of the top 20 in order:

Finland
Denmark
Iceland
Sweden
Israel
Netherlands
Norway
Luxembourg
Switzerland
Australia
New Zealand
Costa Rica
Kuwait
Austria
Canada
Belgium
Ireland
Czechia
Lithuania
United Kingdom

Israel in one of the top counties for safety ?

Embarrassing

Kind. Yes we have problems but we are a country founded on a desire for equal opportunities.

Resilient

conned!

Wet

Beautiful

I prefer the word TROUBLED to broken because that’s what I think we are.

Grandmabatty

I no longer consider myself part of a UK. My country (Scotland) in the main part, voted to stay in Europe and were taken out against our wishes. Conservatives haven't been in power here for decades but we had to watch while horrible decisions were made which affected us. I wasn't a Scottish national voter. I voted to stay part of the union in the referendum, however the poor decisions and corrupt behaviour have made me change my mind. I'm not alone, I'm sure. There is no UK any more.

You have obviously turned a blind eye to the shennigans of the SNP then.
Friends up in Glasgow, and their families, won't give them the time of day, let alone their vote.

dragonfly46

NotSpaghetti

The UK may still be a good place to live, grandMattie.. but it's not the happiest!
Not according to the 2024 William Russell happiness report. This considers lots of evidence such as perceptions of the environment, friendliness, safety, and inclusion.

Here's the list of the top 20 in order:

Finland
Denmark
Iceland
Sweden
Israel
Netherlands
Norway
Luxembourg
Switzerland
Australia
New Zealand
Costa Rica
Kuwait
Austria
Canada
Belgium
Ireland
Czechia
Lithuania
United Kingdom

I second that. Living in the Netherlands was wonderful. The Dutch seem to have got their work/life balance much better than over here and they are intensely patriotic - they never run their country down as we do. I often wish I had been born Dutch.

Yes they are not ashamed to be patriotic, neither am I. My family, naturalised Dutch now, have no qualms about standing up for their culture and customs. Although they too are having their problems with people that won't integrate.

As a fellow Scot , who voted for Independence in 2014 , I agree.I lost faith in WM after Tony Blair(always a Labour voter until then ).I then voted Lib Dem in WM elections until they got into bed with the Tories. I am now an avid supporter of Scottish Independence, the UK is broken and does not represent me and my views whatsoever

Grandma Batty I have to disagree with your statement that the other parties are worse than the snp- they can’t even manage their own finances how on earth could the run the country. In my opinion the only thing the son is good for is wasting money, think ferries, the Queen Elizabeth University hospital, to name but 2.

Why are all the illegal immigrants so anxious to come then? I haven't noticed them trying to get into Kuwait, Russia or Iran.

Grandmabatty

I no longer consider myself part of a UK. My country (Scotland) in the main part, voted to stay in Europe and were taken out against our wishes. Conservatives haven't been in power here for decades but we had to watch while horrible decisions were made which affected us. I wasn't a Scottish national voter. I voted to stay part of the union in the referendum, however the poor decisions and corrupt behaviour have made me change my mind. I'm not alone, I'm sure. There is no UK any more.

Millions of voters today will not get the result they want be it Green, Reform, LD or even Tories. Get over it .

Hopeless
Too many illegal immigrants here now. And far too many fat cats at the top everywhere too , which is why the nhs is broken 😢