Is London living worth it? Rory Sutherland on why London isn’t as desirable as it used to be #london

[JohnSmith-kieq]

As a Londoner born and I f***king hate this place so much now, I feel like a stranger in my own city.

[zorot]

Anyone in an ordinary job is mad to live in London especially if they are renting.

[hwway]

Thank you for explaining it so eloquently

[Tea-nOpals]

You just described the situation in Canada and America but they keep telling us that everything is fine. Basically its all going to plan, just not our plan.

[simontmn]

Heh. I'm 50, live in London, and I only wish I still had half my post tax income after rent & transport, it's less than 1/3 I think!

[bkkp]

London is horrible, the UK in general is a horrendous place to live. No wonder it was ranked the 2nd most miserable country on earth. People work really hard all week just so they can afford to rent a tiny flat and make someone else wealthy.

[gerhard]

Well, depressingly, he's not wrong is he, but at least he puts a lot of his situation down to his serendipity not his genius or hard work.

We've settled into and as a population have acquiesced to a certain paradigm that overwhelmingly suits the interests of a relatively tiny part of the population.

The numerous downsides of that are manifest and we're now in a position after 30 years or so where the only solution has become, 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'.

Trouble is, a bit like becoming a premier footballer, by definition, we can't ALL do that.

[WoWMerke]

Have left London very recently as couldn't afford to get on the property market. Flat rent was £1600 a month and a 3 bed terrace on the same street to buy was £900, 000. But don't worry, you could get a 90 year lease hold for The cost of those houses was pushed up and up by landlords that had 50 others and normal people can not compete with someone that can loan against a property empire.

[raijinenel]

That's why we have high immigration, to keep property prices high and wages low. Someone from a poorer country will get their pay and be delighted, able to live with 10 other people in 1 house. A native who wants a life like their parents, buy house, have family, it's almost impossible.

[accridelich]

This is clearly the prime minister's & parliaments fault.

[alanpartridge]

50% is the tip of the iceberg. Add in council tax as another non-discretionary spend, and then things like food, utilities, home insurance, and the TV licence, which are theoretically discretionary, but are in reality also non-discretionary for most people (i.e. you can choose not to eat caviar and lobsters but you can't choose to eat nothing), and the amount of available money most people have in London is bugger all.

Yet ironically, a lot of Londoners like to look down on their poor cousins "Oop North" who earn 10% less, yet can afford a house, a car and a social life.

[johnlouw]

I have seen a lot of companies that are insisting their staff go back to work. Empty offices?

[PeacockRhino]

I spent two years there to do my professional training. Saw the way it was going when a machete fight between two gangs went on outside my front door (in a decent area of West London) and moved back north. I’d never live within the M25 again unless something radically changes.

[PeteNicholsonAnimation]

Agree. Leaving london i took a £1k pay cut but it enabled me to buy a house, so was similar to remaining behind with a £100k pay rise.

Honestly, I dont know why people stay.

[TheChriscarper]

We've been living in London for 15 years, and once this tenancy is up, we're out of here. It's vastly overpriced, lawless, increasingly unfriendly, and nasty. A horrible city!

[schnozz]

I wasted the best young years of my life living in London and it's my biggest regret. I often wonder how much further ahead in life I might be had I loved somewhere more normal.

[GuanTones]

As someone who lives in sweden and has worked heatpump installation customer support in UK. It’s horrific the limitations you got, warranty that cost you money. Every customer sounds depressed, angry or sad. Meanwhile in sweden every customer is looked after & you could actually have fun conversations with them, especially the older ones.

[bjolly]

Modern-day feudalism describes the cost of living and rent everywhere!!

[hannah]

It’s always non-Londoners ishing on London, but yet they all come and live in London for some time. London isn’t perfect, but just like others have pride in their areas - us born and raised Londoners have pride in our city too!

[icantfindausernamehe]

Truthful, honest and will say what needs to be said.