Zen10

Spending has increased, but there is still "austerity". The cuts in public sector jobs all over the country, and other private sector unemployment are not mythical. How a country can increase borrowing and spending and keep house prices unaffordable while simultaneously increasing unemployment and degrading services is nothing short of miraculous.

KJCherokee

I have just returned from a trip to the UK, mainly to visit my brother but also to tour around England like any other tourist: this is much more enjoyable because I have an Australian wife and can learn to see things I took for granted through the eyes of someone to whom it is all new.

One thing we noticed during a tour of the Cotswolds: whilst the main tourist areas such as Broadway and Bourton-O-T-W are thriving the large towns (Stroud, Gloucester) are looking very run down with many empty shops and the ones that are open being more downmarket. Doesn't seem to be much money or employment around.

Amazulu

I agree, UK being a prime example. Even Greece is spending more than 5 years ago

Voters in these countries are dellusional

BadgeIsBack

It was a bit like this 10 years ago!

Bungle Bungle

Hello there,
I have been back in the UK for the past 8 months, after living in Australia for two years and these are my observations:
Less public service jobs
Some high street shops have disappeared and increase in charity shops
Food and clothing remain much cheaper
Houses in West Yorkshire remain really good value
Local butchers, with locally sourced meat are very popular
Lots of roads in state of disrepair
The sun seems to have completely disappeared!
BB

juddy

And the financial workers in London continue to get million pound bonus, the wealthy continue to get even more wealthy, whilst the gap between top and bottom continues to widen, the rich pay no tax, but the workers more, Mr Cameron grows richer, rent a mob need shooting, and Immigration continues to go wild, pubs are still closing, but at the end of all this the true Brit may just about hang on in there, have they decided to celebrate St Georges day, or do the English believe more in St Patricks day still.

OzTennis

And not forgetting that Amazon, Google, Apple, Starbucks etc continue to pay less than 0.1% tax on multi-billion profits derived in the UK which are (presently) legally siphoned off to Luxemburg, Ireland, British Virgin Islands etc!

roaringmouse

That's a government legislation issue - I really don't understand why people aim criticism for that at the companies when it's legal. Take the focus away from the companies (and rich people) who legally deal with tax affairs, and put it into the government to make legislation to be able to obtain more tax from them.

astera

This is the biggest problem in today's world as governments shift their focus from corporations to individuals. Something has to be done about this as it's getting quite ridiculous.

OzTennis

Can you see a Conservative government rushing to punish higher income earners and businesses who have shelf companies in tax havens?

Starbucks UK has this (legal, currently) scheme whereby, say they earn £100 mill profit from their UK stores they pay their US parent a 'licensing fee' of £99.9 mill for use of their name (leaving £100K for HMRC to tax). This goes to somewhere other than the US where there is no tax.

Close the loopholes! Don't see it happening though, we don't want to stifle enterprise do we? I feel sorry for UK companies paying their fair wack of tax and trying to compete with these morally repugnant practices.

papilon

Love the "pubs are still closing" in your rant :-)

whitesand

Agree with what you say. Love Dubai, a great place! Since coming back to NZ after being overseas have felt very dissatisfied and think that the older I get the more European I'm becoming. Lived in Oz years ago and love the place but don't think I could afford to live there now. Pity! However, in spite of all it's faults, I keep feeling the draw back to the Uk and to Europe.