Why is the uk so expensive and why is everything in Europe practically half the price?

Question

ive just returned from Holland where i go every year for my holidays and couldn't help but notice that unlike the uk the price of food appears to not have risen at all. I went to the same restaurant as last year and it was the same price, on the market fresh tuna was 8 euros a kilo, in uk its 17.5 pounds a kilo and upwards and the same price relations can be applied to almost everything there is , maybe it because they don't conduct illegal wars all over the world they cant afford.

Answer 1

The reason and cause is called a Labour Government, the blame goes to the electorate.

Answer 2

Blame over half the dumbo's in this country that voted in the last general election, the main reason everything has gone up is the government, opinion polls say they will be out but I am sure as the next election looms, Labour will tell all the dumbo's "things are now turning a corner, its taken up 12 years to clean up the mess, but we promise you lower taxes, better education, cheaper fuel, cheaper food", everyone will think "GREAT" and once again vote labour  

Answer 3

I have a house in France that I visit regularly. Food prices have definitely risen, as have fuel prices. Which is one reason I am always so scornful of those who blame George Brown and the Labour government for rising prices.

An ordinary chicken, for example, costs about £8.00 compared to about £5.00 in England.

One thing that is cheaper is electricity. This hasn't gone up much because most of their generation is by nuclear power stations.

Answer 4

If you think the UK is expensive you should try living in Ireland. God its so hard to keep money!

Answer 5

I think you are wrong here. I visit Portugal at least twice a year, as I have relatives living there. It gets a bit more expensive on every visit, and it's not cheap to eat out there anymore.

Also France is extremely expensive, and Ireland. Nowhere in Europe is cheap anymore, sorry.

I have a customer who comes into the little supermarket I work in, and he buys all the carrots, leeks, onions,(yes onions) we have on the shelf. He then goes to the local buthchers, and buys as much of his beef as they will sell him. He moved to France a few months ago, but reckons he saves money by coming back to Britain to buy his food as it's 3 times the price in France.

Answer 6

I can not speak for Holland but can for Spain.  We retired here 6 years ago and yes almost everything is so much cheaper.  But you have remember that the wages here are so much less than in the UK, in fact a lot of Spanish are quite poor compared with people in the UK.  So don't knock the UK that much.  We moved here because of the weather which in the UK drove us mad.

Answer 7

Tax, our government is greedy, and the people pay it anyway despite the price.  

Answer 8

I'm English and live in Eastern Europe. Prices for food are practically the same here.  

Answer 9

I support the ethos of the labour government, but everytime they get in it ends up costing us all too much. They usually end up wasting too much of our hard earned money, buying off the unions.

Answer 10

Same answer as all the others,RIP OFF Britain , excessive taxes and taxes on top of taxes, the wars that are costing you a fortune, most of your British wealth has been sold off to foreign firms if not all and if you look at the sate of the Pound it is pathetic 82 pence a Euro this morning, and last if not least the **** kissing government who seem h**l bent on being American instead of European.

Answer 11

Hello,

(ANS) Its called RIP OFF BRITAIN!! and its totally true too. We are taxed to death by this government and this has a knock on effect because higher costs are passed on to the ordinary consumer in everything we buy.

**Everything we buy has VAT at 17.5% that's one reason everything is expensive and the government is laughing all the way to the bank of England.

**Petrol & fuel, every gallon or litre of fuel is taxed. in fact 86% of what we pay at the pump is tax the government takes off us. This directly affects the cost of living to everyone even if you dont own a car or drive. Everything we buy comes by road.

**Road Tax, Community Charge (poll tax), TV License fee, Insurance tax, income tax, etc,etc. I could go on as its a long list.

**Even a tax when you change money from pounds sterling to euro's or vica versa,etc.

Ivan

Answer 12

you know why, you just answered your own question when you typed wars

Answer 13

All over Europe, food and fuel prices are rising.

I was amazed at the cost of food in Spain and Ireland recently.

Alongside the lowering of house prices, most peoples biggest asset.

Governments should, given the circumstances, be reducing the tax burden on the populace, but by their nature Government departments want more money during an economy crisis.

Answer 14

Well im with you, dude, try to be as far from london as possible.

But i must tell you, food is expensive in many other countries as well. I have great experience with the UK, ITALY, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, CZECH REPUBLIC and SWISS. Lincolnshire isnt that bad, at all !