The arctic weather we have experienced in the UK this week has been, well, how shall we put it?
Fucking awful.
It’s nearly April and we are just still experiencing sub zero temperatures. To make matters worse, we are expected to carry on receiving the ‘beast from the east” weather front for at least another 7 days.
I can’t be the only one who has dreamed what it would it be like to emigrate and live “somewhere warmer”. Doing the daily grind,freezing my nuts off, waiting to board a packed commuter train platform is hardly “living the dream”.
Putting it simply, its depressing.
You don’t need to be a trained psychologist to know that this surely cannot be good for ones mental state of mind and self esteem. If you are already desperately unhappy this weather can only be amplifying those feelings.
I say that I want to “clear off” in the Summer, so it’s stupid to think that I wouldn’t ask myself that very same question when you see snow come down for the umpteenth time this winter.
So “do something about it then” I hear you cry.
Well – I have been offered 2 well paid jobs in warmer climates in the last 3 years. One in Australia the other in Bermuda, quite recently.
It’s never quite happened though, for a few reasons, but as when you dig a bit deeper, it’s not all BBQ’s and Beers on the beech.
As I will explain in ways that I never thought I would say.
Reasons why people want to emigrate from the UK (but shouldn’t)
1) Weather
See above. Some will argue though that we are lucky to have seasons in the UK (Spring and Autumn at this rate!). Even the summers have been rubbish the last few years. I can cope with cold winters but at least give me some sunshine when you expect it. Tick in the box for overseas!
2) Cost of living
The UK is not exactly cheap. We pay some of the highest rates of income tax in the world as well as fuel duty. But food is very cheap in comparison and property is on a par with most other western countries. You can expect to pay £3,500 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment in Bermuda. Probably the same for a decent apartment in Melbourne also.
The social charges in some other European countries like France also make our National Insurance charges look like peanuts.
So swings and roundabouts really.
3) Jobs
At the time of writing, the UK has an unemployment rate of 7.8%. Spain, which is one of the most popular destinations for people emigrating has 26% unemployment (and it’s going to get worse by all accounts). Go figure.
4) Crime
In simplistic terms, with unemployment come crime. If you look at the crime map of the world, The UK is actually not that bad and scores better than Australia. I guess the sensationalist, 24 Hours news era we live in though doesn’t help with perception though.
5) Education
The UK gets a bad rep for education (Inner city ”Grange Hill” schools are probably what a lot of people base their opinions on). But a lot of this in my opinion can be attributed to the parents, who fail to accept their own responsibilities these days. This article from The Guardian in 2009 sums this up nicely.
My own personal experience also is that the Comprehensive schools that were set up in most cities, also pitch to the medium level, which means brighter pupils do get held back.
Despite all of that, in the UK, anyone can go to University if they want to. Sadly, in the USA pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds have to rely on scholarships
6) British People
What was once the “salt of the earth” British working class, has now metamorphosed into what is better known as ’Chavs’. I will be the first to admit that I generally find some of the British people (especially overseas) embarrassing these days. No morals, no standards and no manners. But as much as I hate this, how can you tar a whole nation with the same brush? You can’t.
It’s become trendy to “bash the Chav’s” and comedy characters like Lee Nelson are only adding to this. Interestingly, in his book ‘Chavs’ Owen Jones describes this trend.
Maybe its because everyone thinks they are middle class these days? that they can sneer down their noses.Everyone thinks they are better than “them over there”.
7) Healthcare
In the UK, if you pay your taxes, the NHS is free and they save lives everyday. Those two things cannot be said in most countries. End of discussion.
Other reasons why people don’t move
Despite all of the above, you could still decide that any one of these (weather alone maybe) could be the motivator to emigrate. Other objections you are likely to tell yourself are:
