What happened to the land of hope and glory?

Today I felt it was time to address the issue in hand again... Why are so many people choosing to leave England and live abroad? I’ve scoured the internet and found a load of articles and views of the general public. A good friend of mine here on Koh Lanta has also forwarded some links to news articles which I’ve also contained below.

My feeling when reading through these articles is one of sadness and despair...

I am proud to be English – even though I’m not quite sure what the English identity is!

I love my friends and family who are also English... but I don’t care much for the growing “Chav” culture, and I’m concerned about what the up and coming English generation are going to be like...

I love the English countryside, cups of tea, and David Attenborough, but I hate the way everyone looks so miserable in the streets, how children are not allowed to play conkers anymore, how true creativity has been stifled and squashed by so called “health and safety”, how “mental illness” is one of the largest growing ailments of the people, how we’re bombarded with negativity, advertising and materialism, how you have to earn way above the average wage to make ends meet, and so on and so on and so on....

I feel even sadder that there is no one that offers hope of a brighter future to a nation with so much history... Where is the land of hope and glory? Where is the next revolutionary leader who is sincere, honest, intelligent and strong enough to dodge the negative impacts of power? A leader who inspires the public and delivers the change so many of us want... When I think of well known English characters – the only person I can think of who has proved his integrity over a lifetime – is David Attenborough... David – can you please take up politics????

Even as I type I go through a roller coaster of emotions... I feel hope rising as I contemplate the possibility of a revolutionary leader, and then I plunge downhill into disappointment when I realise that the British Media, and the public’s lack of trust in any leader – would make it near impossible for such a leader to emerge...

In fact that rollercoaster of hope and disappointment - is an emotion I find extremely familiar when I think of England's recent history and psyche...

The only reassurance I take from reading all of these articles is that I am not alone. I am not mad for wanting to look for a better life. And like many other people who consider leaving, I am by no means abandoning my country – I think it’s fairer to say we feel as though we have been abandoned by our country...

Links to news articles and views of the public:

Views from the people – on the Telegraph website... This is a great read and an excellent insight into the huge swelling of discontentment with life in England. Be warned however – there are over 700 comments from the general public...

Why are so many Britons Emigrating? - The Telegraph


Recent report from the Guardian regarding the cost of living in the UK

£42 a day: cost of UK family bills - The Guardian


A snippet from John Redwood’s Diary – I’m not a “conservative”, and I certainly haven’t been a fan of John Redwood – but he does hit the spot in this report which demonstrates an understanding of why so many people are leaving England.

John Redwood's Diary - Why are so many people leaving the UK?


A report in the Telegraph, which highlights that many of the people who are choosing to leave England are skilled, qualified, and intelligent, as oppose to the unskilled immigrants entering. What are the long term effects of such a brain drain? There is a strong focus in the report on the number of immigrants being a driving force for people to emigrate.. Immigration has nothing to do with my reasons – nor has it really entered into the conversation with other English expats I’ve met while travelling – so I think they may be missing the real cause for concern... I can’t speak for everyone, but I think it is fair to say that the vast majority of those who leave the country actually embrace multiculturalism. How could we not? We are immigrants ourselves....

One thing I do like about this article however is that it also highlights that the British have been wanderers for centuries – hence the British Empire, and the use of English as a world wide language..

Why Britain's brightest and best are emigrating - The Telegraph

What can be done to halt Britain’s brain drain ? Another article from the Telegraph with loads of rants from the public.