I've heard of people flying out to the States, just to go on shopping trips, and saving much more than the cost of their air-fare. Easy to believe. When I've compared prices with American friends, it seems most goods cost twice in Britain as over there
Of course, it's not much use if your disposable income is about zero, nearly all your money goes on food and rent, and you can't afford to go on holiday. Too many Brits are in that position. But at least we're not damaging the environment so much. I've heard that a lot of the Poles are exploiting the situation by living cheaply, in overcrowded conditions (and/or working insanely long hours) and sending money to their families back in Poland, where it's worth more. I don't know how true that is, but it makes a lot of sense. I don't see any sense in coming to Britain just to work for a minimum wage, otherwise (It's iimpossible to support a famiily on minimum wage, unless you work a lot of overtime, or else claim top-up benefits). But one upshot is that it's harder than ever for a native Brit to get out of the "poverty trap"; hence the resentment against Polish immigrants. That said, in my exprience, most Brits acknowledge that they'd do the same. It's more frustration with the Government than resentment
Another problem with the "strong pound" is that British industry can't compete with foreign industries, where wages are lower; and the gap between Briish and foreign wages can only narrowed so far, because the workers here need a higher wage, just to meet the basic cost of living. Again, that keeps wages low, and increases unemployment.
I'm no economist (far from it) but if you rub shoulders with a lot of the poorer Brits (as I do) the negative effects are blindingly obvious. I suppose we could sum it up as "The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer" (I've heard that the gap between rich and poor here is higher, now, than in the Middle Ages. I dunno, but I find that credible.)
Cheap holidays? Bleh. Not much of consolation.
~Walkie
