ARE YOU ANTI EUROPE

A few decades ago people were welcomed into the UK to do the jobs that others did not wish to do, especially the lower paid jobs. Now people move countries for many reasons and in some cases it can be for the wrong reasons. But look at the large numbers of people leaving the UK for a better life elsewhere whether that be in the EU or other countries.

I worked in Holland for a number of years because I had a skill that was in demand and I could earn a very nice living doing so. A lot of people from the UK work in the EU in many different sectors, so I would say the argument about coming to the UK for jobs, works in reverse too.

Medical care. Come to the UK and join a waiting list for several months! Here the response is almost immediate. A friend went for a consultation about an eye problem and the consultant wanted to keep her in hospital to operate immediately for a detached retina , would that happen in the UK? My doctor sent me for a blood test one morning, that afternoon I had a phone call from him to be at his surgery first thing the next day and was prescribed some medication. Would the results get back so quickly in the UK? Why are people in the UK sent abroad for operations that take so long to be done due to waiting lists? Just another thing – car parks at the hospitals I have been to are free here.

Schooling. With the recent rise in the UK of university fees it is interesting to see the number of British students now studying abroad. Here in France education is basically free until the age of 25 so no university fees. The yearly move up to the next class does not happen automatically and students can choose to re-do a year again. This happens quite often and no stigma is attached to doing so. Our daughter passed her ‘Brevet’ (sort of GCSE equivalent exam) but decided she was not ready to start the Baccalaureate so chose to re-do the year again but in a private school. Before you think that is costly, private schools are mostly government funded and the annual fees are about £1,000 which includes school lunches (four courses). She again passed the Brevet and was then far more confident and ready to go on to do the Bac.

Housing. I am not going to compare here to the UK because I am not in a position to do so. But in France when youngsters want to set up on their own they can apply for help in paying their rent and in quite a few cases this means the rental is zero. This aid is available until they are 26.

Obviously these services don’t come free but have to be paid for, and my salary slip has so many deductions for this, that and the other. There are also deductions for unemployment, illness , old age, etc insurances, so that if for example you are unemployed you are claiming on insurance you have paid for.

Personally I know where I would most like to be

@jadey wrote:

blimey J thats some typing hun u wanna do my posts for me :D

lol no thanks but just thought it would be interesting to give my point of view and sort of found a lot to say about why it is good living in France

@jadey wrote:

awwwwww J i was hoping u wud hun my little fingers ache answering all these posts :)

then don’t answer them and your fingers won’t ache