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Quality of life in 'sick man' Britain among EU's lowest
BRITAIN is the "sick man of Europe", lying near the bottom of a quality of life index of the leading European Union nations, research today shows.
Only Ireland charts lower on the list of 10 major European nations, according to research by utilities comparison website uSwitch.com.
Inflation-busting prices for fuel and other essential goods, below-average Government spending on health and education, short holidays and late retirement have kept Britain firmly at the bottom of the list – below countries including Spain, France, Germany and even Poland.
Spain took the top spot despite families there earning an
annual net income of only 16,789 – 8,500 below the average and less than half that of Britain.
As UK inflation rose to 3.8 per cent yesterday – its highest level since 1992 – research showed that Britain was paying the highest prices in Europe for diesel, the second highest for petrol, and the third highest for gas and electricity.
Britain's life expectancy is the third lowest in Europe, the survey found, and our retirement age is the third highest.
The UK's spend on healthcare, at 8.1 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) falls below the European average – it has 2.5 doctors per 1,000 residents compared with 3.4 in France and 3.5 in Germany, who spend 10.5 per cent and 10.6 per cent of GDP respectively.
British workers also have the shortest holiday entitlement in Europe, a week below average, and the country receives 17 per cent less sunshine than the European average – only Ireland gets less.
Because of all this, 41,026 Britons emigrated in 2006, the highest number in Europe.
Total emigration has increased by 30 percent in the UK since 2001.
On the bright side, Britons have by far the biggest annual income, at 35,730 on average after tax – more than 10,000 above the average and more than double that of Spain, which topped the quality of life index.
The uSwitch director of consumer policy, Ann Robinson, said: "We may earn substantially more than our European neighbours but, when it comes to quality of life, we remain the 'sick man of Europe'.
"Soaring food prices and inflation, not to mention high property costs, are placing the biggest squeeze on disposable incomes in well over a decade.
"With below average investment in health and education, it appears that we are getting a raw deal for the fruits of our labour.
"British households are facing huge financial pressure as take home pay stagnates, inflation continues to rise, and economic growth and house prices fall."
Research showed that essential bills in Britain, including fuel, heating and food, had risen by an average of nine per cent, or 1,800 a year, with diesel up 38 per cent from 2006 to 2008; energy up more than 20 per cent over the last year, and food up by 12.6 per cent.
Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said: "It is depressing but unsurprising that as so many families struggle to make ends meet we have one of the lowest qualities of life in Europe.
"This is a damning indictment not only of this Government's economic incompetence, but also education and healthcare policies.
"There is now a real danger that as the economic down turn takes hold in the UK, we will once again become the sick man of Europe. It is critical the Government now acts to help those hit hardest by soaring debts and household bills."
Tory Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Philip Hammond said: "A declining quality of life is the human price we are paying for Gordon Brown's economic incompetence.
"Because he borrowed through the boom and so failed to prepare for these tough economic times, his Government has little room to help families now facing huge hikes in food and fuel costs. But this Prime Minister's only response is to clobber people with yet more taxes."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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