United Kingdom
National Successes and Social Failures

UK United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	13th best
Capital	London
Land Area	241 930km21
Location	Europe
Population	67.1m2
Life Expectancy	80.74yrs (2017)3
GNI	$45 225 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	GB, GBR, 8265
Internet Domain	.uk6
Currency	Pound (GBP)7
Telephone	+448

1. Lonely Planet Introduction
2. UK National and Social Development
3. UK's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Health
6. Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. UK's Modernity and Learning
8. UK's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. Statistics
   2. Northern Ireland
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Christian Child Abuse in the UK (partial coverage up until 2008)
11. Political Problems
    1. Brexit
    2. First Past the Post (FPTP) Voting System
12. Links

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1. Lonely Planet Introduction₉

“Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace... England does icons like no other place on earth, and travel here is a fascinating mix of famous names and hidden gems. ... In the cities, the streets buzz day and night, filled with tempting shops and restaurants, and some of the finest museums in the world. After dark, cutting-edge clubs, top-class theatre and formidable live music provide nights to remember. Next day, you´re deep in the English countryside admiring quaint villages or enjoying a classic seaside resort. There really is something for everyone, whether you´re eight or 80, going solo or travelling with your friends, your kids or your grandma. Travel here is a breeze, and although the locals may grumble (in fact, it´s a national pastime) public transport is very good, and a train ride through the English landscape can be a highlight in itself. Whichever way you get around, in this compact country you´re never far from the next town, pub, restaurant, national park or the next impressive castle on your hit list of highlights.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

“From the breathtaking geological wonders of the north coast to the gritty murals of Belfast, Northern Ireland is full of a dramatic beauty that beckons to the traveller. [...] The regional capital, Belfast, has shrugged off its bomb-scarred past and reinvented itself as one of the most exciting and dynamic cities in Britain... You can explore the tensions as they´re expressed today on a tour of the iconic neighbourhoods of West Belfast or in the province´s second city, Derry (or Londonderry), which is leading the north´s cultural revival. And it wouldn´t be Ireland if it didn´t have its fair share of stunning landscapes: from the Antrim Coast and its world-famous Giant´s Causeway to the mountains of Mourne in south County Down.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₁

“Like a fine single malt, Scotland is a connoisseur´s delight - a blend of stunning scenery and sophisticated cities, salt-tanged sea air and dark peaty waters, outdoor adventure and deep history. Scotland harbours some of the largest areas of wilderness left in Western Europe, a wildlife haven where you can see golden eagles soar above the lochs and mountains of the northern Highlands, spot otters tumbling in the kelp along the shores of the Outer Hebrides, and watch minke whales breach through shoals of mackerel off the coast of Mull. It´s also a land with a rich, multilayered history, a place where every corner of the landscape is steeped in the past - a deserted croft on an island shore, a moor that was once a battlefield, a beach where Vikings hauled their boats ashore, or a cave that once sheltered Bonnie Prince Charlie.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₂

“The phrase `good things come in small packages´ may be a cliché, but in the case of Wales it´s undeniably true. Compact but geologically diverse, Wales offers myriad opportunities for escaping into nature. It may not be wild in the classic sense - humans have been shaping this land for millennia - but there are plenty of lonely corners to explore, lurking behind mountains, within river valleys and along surf-battered cliffs. An extensive network of paths makes Wales a hiker´s paradise. Even more untamed are the islands scattered just off the coast, some of which are important wildlife sanctuaries. Castles are... absolutely everywhere. You could visit a different one every day for a year and still not see them all.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₃

2. UK National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)14
Pos.		Higher is better Value14
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
15	Canada	0.936
16	Liechtenstein	0.935
17	Luxembourg	0.930
18	UK	0.929
19=	S. Korea	0.925
19=	Japan	0.925
21	USA	0.921
22	Israel	0.919
	Europe Avg	0.87
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)14
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $14
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
24	Canada	$46 808
25	Saudi Arabia	$46 112
26	France	$45 937
27	UK	$45 225
28	S. Korea	$44 501
29	New Zealand	$44 057
30	Italy	$42 840
31	Japan	$42 274
	Europe Avg	$40 512
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index15
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank15
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
10	Ireland	37.8
11	Australia	38.5
12	Belgium	39.4
13	UK	41.4
14	Luxembourg	41.4
15	Iceland	41.4
16	Canada	41.8
17	Japan	42.5
	Europe Avg	55.7
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. UK's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #British_National_Party #demographics #English_Defence_League #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #National_Front #overpopulation #politics #population #racism #russia #rwanda #single_issue_parties #UK #UK_Independence_Party #xenophobia #yemen

Population:

The UK's population is predicted to rise to 69.31 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.57. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₆

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
18	Turkey	82.3m
19	Iran	81.8m
20	Thailand	69.4m
21	UK	67.1m
22	France	65.0m
23	Italy	60.6m
24	S. Africa	57.8m
25	Tanzania	56.3m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better14
Pos.		2021 Years14
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
26	Cyprus	81.2
27	Portugal	81.0
28	San Marino	80.9
29	UK	80.7
30	Slovenia	80.7
31	Germany	80.6
32	Andorra	80.4
33	Greece	80.1
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best17
Pos.		202217
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
72	St Martin	2.39
73	Isle of Man	1.57
74=	Slovakia	1.57
74=	UK	1.57
76	Paraguay	2.44
77	Laos	2.45
78=	Denmark	1.55
78=	Slovenia	1.55
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better18
Pos.		2016 Per 10018
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
152	Romania	33.6
153	USA	33.8
154	New Zealand	34.9
155	UK	35.0
156	Barbados	35.6
157	Lithuania	36.0
158	Czechia	36.1
159	Cuba	36.2
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants19
Pos.		2017 %19
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
39	St Kitts & Nevis	13.7%
40	Seychelles	13.6%
41	Croatia	13.4%
42	UK	13.4%
43	Latvia	13.2%
44	Spain	12.8%
45	Iceland	12.5%
46	Libya	12.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants20
Pos.		2010 %20
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
81	Paraguay	7.9%
82	Russia	7.9%
83	Mali	7.6%
84	UK	7.5%
85	Honduras	7.5%
86	Austria	7.1%
87	Uzbekistan	7.0%
88	Bolivia	6.8%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

The UK has developed a series of parties obsessed with race and nationality. The National Front (NF), the British National Party (BNP), and the UK Independence Party (UKIP) are three well-known anti-immigration and anti-foreigner parties in the UK. They nestle alongside like-minded groups such as the English Defence League (EDL) and horrible thugs such as Combat 18. Leadership and membership swap between all these organisations relatively freely with most of them being offshoots of one-another. Some are merely drinking clubs for racists and who get an inordinate amount of attention from the media, whilst others have had genuine impact on the populace of the UK. Examples of the latter include UKIP, replaced by The Brexit Party, which became Reform UK. They all have anti-EU policies. Their policies are damagingly shallow and single-minded, but they appeal to nationalists who enjoy simplistic slogans. On account of the long-term damage such parties do to the UK and to other European countries, Russia has been quietly and effectively supporting right-wing parties_21,22 in order to further its own interest in a fractured Europe₂₃.

For more, see:

• "Single Issue Parties are Dangerous: Against Nationalist and Ethnic Parties" by Vexen Crabtree (2006).

One result of these parties is that the nationalist but mainstream Conservative Party lost some of their core voters, and so, they responded by taking-on some of the more extreme anti-foreigner measures, resorting to an old trope of being 'the nasty party'. This included some worrying moves; a low point was the scheme of exporting migrants to Rwanda, criticized by human rights bodies across the world, but which the Conservative Party insisted was friendly, safe, humane and cheap. However, The Financial Times reported that the same Government also argued for a High Court judge 'to keep secret parts of a document that refers to Rwanda's alleged use of torture and killings'. The Rwanda scheme cost millions, harmed the reputation of the UK, and didn't successfully remove a single person. It was abandoned by the Labour Party after they came into power in 2024.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #UK #uk_freedom

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)24
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank24
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
11	Finland	17.4
12	Belgium	18.4
13	Germany	21.0
14	UK	22.2
15	Spain	24.5
16	France	25.8
	Europe Avg	47.37
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

When it comes to ensuring human rights and freedom, The UK leads the world, setting excellent examples. The UK does the best in terms of its average Freedom in the World rating and in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₅. It comes in the best 20 for supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₆, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₇ (amongst the lowest in Europe), LGBT equality₂₈ and in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₉. And finally, it does better than average for supporting press freedom₃₀, opposing gender inequality₃₁, eliminating modern slavery₃₂, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₃₃ (but low for Europe) and in freethought₃₄. There are "significant concerns" for the protections of Brits living abroad, and for long-term EU nationals living in the UK₃₅, as popularist rhetoric surrounding a "no deal" Brexit would result in loss of access to pensions and elements of justice and welfare services for up to 10 million Brits throughout the EU₃₆.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in the UK

5. Health

#health #obesity #UK #UK_health

Health (2025)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
23	US Virgin Islands	51.9
24	N. Korea	52.9
25	Ireland	53.2
26	UK	54.0
27	Sri Lanka	54.3
28	Luxembourg	54.6
	Europe Avg	86.87
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The UK's National Security Risk Assessment output classes the state of the UK public health as a Tier 1 national risk, the most potent of the three categories₃₈. It's a well-known and high-profile issue; half of all science stories in the UK media are medical₃₉ although many of the claims made are dubious₃₉.The UK does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. The UK comes in the best 20 for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₄₀. It does better than average in terms of its average life expectancy₁₄, its suicide rate₄₁, its adolescent birth rate₄₂ (but high for Europe), its fertility rate₁₇ and in its immunizations take-up₄₃. The UK still has work to do. The UK does worse than average in its smoking rate₄₄ (yet still one of the lowest in Europe) and in its alcohol consumption rate₄₅. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• The United Kingdom Suffers as a Result of Poor National Health

6. Responsibility Towards The Environment

#climate_change #the_environment #UK #uk_and_the_environment #UK_environment

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
68	Romania	73.8
69	Swaziland	74.2
70	Chad	74.4
71	UK	74.4
72	Turkey	75.0
73	China	75.2
	Europe Avg	86.45
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

With regard to its responsibility towards the environment, the UK ranks 71st in the world. This rank is calculated from 7 data sets. The UK comes in the best 20 in terms of its environmental performance₄₇ and in its score on the Green Future Index₄₈. It does better than average for its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₉ and in energy to GDP efficiency₅₀. The UK doesn't do so well in other areas. The UK does worse than average when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₅₁ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₅₂. The climate activist Greta Thunberg criticizes "creative carbon accounting" that allows the UK to look like it is reducing carbon emissions despite "the UK's active, current support of new exploitation of fossil fuels - for example, the UK shale-gas fracking industry, the expansion of its North Sea oil and gas fields, the expansion of airports as well as the planning permission for a brand new coal mine - [it's] beyond absurd"₅₃.

As a result of pollution, every one of England´s rivers fails to meet safety standards₅₄ and it has the worst water quality in swimming sites in Europe₅₅. In 2019 and 2020, there were 600,000 occasions where raw sewage was pumped into rivers, beaches and open waters₅₆. The cause is deregulation by the UK's Conservative Party, who have been in power since 2010. The best political parties in the UK for the environment are the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats, and Labour.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• The UK Versus Environmental Protection and Climate Change

7. UK's Modernity and Learning

#afghanistan #charity #corruption #education #english #france #happiness #intelligence #iraq #it_security #maths #modernity #morals #NATO #politics #religion #religiosity #research #russia #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet #UK #ukraine #USA

Compared to Europe (2020)57
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank57
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
7	Switzerland	17.4
8	Estonia	17.9
9	Norway	18.3
10	UK	19.4
11	Netherlands	19.5
12	Ireland	19.8
13	Austria	19.9
14=	Czechia	21.8
15	Slovenia	22.5
	Europe Avg	39.81
q=45.

Modernity & Learning (2020)57
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank57
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
9	Switzerland	17.4
10	Estonia	17.9
11	Norway	18.3
12	UK	19.4
13	Netherlands	19.5
14	Ireland	19.8
15	Austria	19.9
16=	Czechia	21.8
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₅₈. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₅₈. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₉.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₆₀

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₈.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2961
2	Israel	4.1161
3	Japan	3.5861
	...
18	Netherlands	1.9761
19	Iceland	1.8961
20=	Norway	1.7061
20=	UK	1.7061
22	Canada	1.6161
23	Ireland	1.5261
24	Estonia	1.4361
25	Hungary	1.3761
	Europe Avg	1.32
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better62
Pos.		201862
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
50	Cuba	87.4%
51	Poland	85.3%
52	Belgium	84.8%
53	UK	84.5%
54	Jordan	84.0%
55	France	83.5%
56	Sri Lanka	82.8%
57	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.2%
	Europe Avg	88.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better63
Pos.		2021 Years63
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
14	Spain	17.9
15	Argentina	17.9
16	Slovenia	17.7
17	UK	17.3
18	Hong Kong	17.3
19	Germany	17.0
20	Portugal	16.9
21	Malta	16.8
	Europe Avg	16.1
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better40
Pos.		2017 Rank40
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
4	Denmark	4
5	UK	5
6	Austria	6
7	Finland	7
8	Netherlands	8
9	Belgium	9
10	Slovenia	10
11	Switzerland	11
12	New Zealand	12
	Europe Avg	31.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better64
Pos.		2015 Score64
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
20	Belgium	1508
21=	Vietnam	1507
21=	Australia	1507
23	UK	1499
24	Portugal	1491
25=	France	1487
25=	Sweden	1487
27	Austria	1477
	Europe Avg	1417
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better65
Pos.		2018 %65
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
4=	Switzerland	9
4=	Denmark	9
6	Germany	10
7=	UK	10
7=	Sweden	10
7=	Japan	10
7=	Finland	10
11	Latvia	11
12=	France	11
	Europe Avg	25.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better66
Pos.		200666
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
11=	Netherlands	100
11=	Norway	100
11=	Austria	100
11=	UK	100
15	New Zealand	99
16=	Poland	99
16=	Germany	99
16=	Finland	99
	Europe Avg	96.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better67
Pos.		201667
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
9	Netherlands	94%
10	Sweden	93%
11	Monaco	93%
12	UK	93%
13	Finland	93%
14	Qatar	92%
15	UAE	92%
16	Bahrain	92%
	Europe Avg	76.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better68
Pos.		201268
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
4	Australia	18
5	Hungary	19
6=	Philippines	23
6=	Italy	23
8	UK	25
9=	S. Africa	26
9=	Argentina	26
11	Ukraine	27
12=	Brazil	27
	Europe Avg	31.4
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security Lower is better69
Pos.		201369
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
58	Turkmenistan	1.23
59	Kazakhstan	1.23
60	Djibouti	1.29
61	UK	1.34
62	Mongolia	1.42
63	Uganda	1.44
64	Ukraine	1.44
65	Nepal	1.45
	Europe Avg	0.80
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better70
Pos.		2017 Ratio70
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
7	India	26.8
8	Portugal	26.6
9	Ireland	26.1
10	UK	24.7
11	Japan	22.1
12	France	18.8
13	Canada	18.3
14	Peru	18.3
	Europe Avg	8.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better71
Pos.		202471
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
4	Netherlands	72.6%
5	Denmark	72.3%
6	Austria	70.8%
7	Spain	70.5%
8	Luxembourg	70.0%
9	UK	69.3%
10	Estonia	69.3%
11	Switzerland	69.0%
12	Sweden	68.7%
	Europe Avg	61.0%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. UK's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#afghanistan #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #equality #france #happiness #human_development #inequality #iraq #morals #NATO #peace #politics #russia #UK #ukraine #USA

Compared to Europe (2020)72
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank72
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
10	Germany	24.4
11	Luxembourg	25.7
12	Belgium	31.3
13	UK	31.8
14	Slovenia	32.6
15	Malta	36.8
16	Czechia	38.9
17	Hungary	41.1
18	France	41.3
	Europe Avg	48.48
q=44.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)72
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank72
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
14	Luxembourg	25.7
15	Australia	29.4
16	Belgium	31.3
17	UK	31.8
18	Slovenia	32.6
19	Malta	36.8
20	Taiwan	37.2
21	Czechia	38.9
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

The United Kingdom has a good long-term record on keeping corruption low, but things have worsened since 2016.

World Giving Index Higher is better73
Pos.		2022 %73
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
13=	Nigeria	48.0
13=	Thailand	48.0
15	Guinea	47.0
16=	UK	47.0
16=	Brazil	47.0
16=	UAE	47.0
16=	Philippines	47.0
16=	Argentina	47.0
	Europe Avg	39.0
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better74
Pos.		2022 Points74
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
15	Uruguay	74.0
16=	Iceland	74.0
16=	Canada	74.0
18	UK	73.0
19=	Japan	73.0
19=	Belgium	73.0
21	France	72.0
22	Austria	71.0
	Europe Avg	57.61
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

On average in each of the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s the UK has consistently been, precisely the 13th-best each decade, on the Corruption Perception Index.

Happiness Higher is better75
Pos.		2024 Score75
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
20	Czechia	6.8
21	UAE	6.8
22	Germany	6.8
23	UK	6.7
24	USA	6.7
25	Belize	6.7
26	Poland	6.7
27	Taiwan	6.7
	Europe Avg	6.37
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better40
Pos.		2017 Rank40
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
8	Ireland	8
9	Czechia	9
10	Luxembourg	10
11	UK	11
12	Portugal	12
13	Finland	13
14	France	14
15	Germany	15
	Europe Avg	35.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better40
Pos.		2017 Rank40
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
32	Barbados	32
33	Mongolia	33
34	Spain	34
35	UK	35
36	Italy	36
37	Estonia	37
38	Cyprus	38
39	Bulgaria	39
	Europe Avg	42.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

The UK is an internationally active military power. Between 1946 and 2003 the UK was involved in more inter-state wars than any other country, 21 (the next was France, at 19 and the USA at 16)₇₆; this included heavy commitments such as joining the USA invasions of Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003).

In 2025 Feb, the USA under the Republican Party switched to Russia's side and ceased supporting the defence of Ukraine against Russia, instead making threats against Ukraine; this led to Europe realizing that the USA's claims of easily resolving the conflict were not going to materialize. A few European countries had already openly declared that they won't rule out sending troops to help Ukraine; the UK and France₇₇ being the most prominent, along with some Baltic states. They propose a 'coalition of the willing' to enforce any future peace deal, with their aim (along with that of NATO) being to raise a stronger deterrent against future Russia military aggression against European countries.

8.1. Statistics

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better78
Pos.		2023 Score78
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
34	Italy	1.66
35	Kuwait	1.67
36	Lithuania	1.67
37	UK	1.69
38	Macedonia	1.71
39	Costa Rica	1.73
40=	Vietnam	1.75
40=	Albania	1.75
	Europe Avg	1.70
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better40
Pos.		2017 Rank40
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
45	Bolivia	45
46	Burkina Faso	46
47	Philippines	47
48	UK	48
49	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49
50	Ireland	50
51	Norway	51
52	Finland	52
	Europe Avg	84.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better40
Pos.		2017 Rank40
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
9	Denmark	9
10	Switzerland	10
11	Canada	11
12	UK	12
13	Belgium	13
14	Italy	14
15	Spain	15
16	France	16
	Europe Avg	37.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better79
Pos.		2019 Score79
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
120	Bangladesh	5.21
121	Saudi Arabia	5.24
122	Ethiopia	5.35
123	UK	5.41
124	Burkina Faso	5.42
125	Myanmar (Burma)	5.51
126	Mozambique	5.54
127	Ukraine	5.55
	Europe Avg	1.62
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.2. Northern Ireland₈₀

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development #UK

Northern Ireland is a portion of the island of Eire that has remained under British rule since, when in the 1920s, the rest of the Island was granted independence as Britain dismantled its empire. The Protestants of Northern Ireland refused to part, claiming by majority that they would remain part of the UK despite the mainland's wish to leave. The resulting conflict has had the British government pinned down, with feelings running very deep on all sides and militant actions by freedom fighters, terrorists and even government forces all stirring the "the troubles". Sometimes intense criticism of Britain comes from Irish voices who either want the UK out, sometimes it comes from those who want to stop the UK from leaving. It's a no-win situation. At its worst, it verged on civil war, and at its best, peace is obtained largely because both sides have stopped making progress, and the adherence to common EU markets meant that borders could be ignored.

“The 'troubles' began in 1968 when a civil rights movement created by the Roman Catholic minority flared into violent protest in Londonderry. [...] The IRA's campaign extended even to the mainland, where not only army establishments, but civilian targets too, were attacked with bombs.”

"Conflict in Peace 1963-1999" by John Strawson (1994)₈₁

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better82
Pos.		201982
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
26	Austria	3.70
27	France	3.80
28=	Germany	3.80
29	UK	4.10
30	Hungary	4.20
31=	Croatia	4.30
31=	Poland	4.30
31=	New Zealand	4.30
	Europe Avg	4.86
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better83
Pos.		2023 %83
1	Slovakia	24.1%84
2	Slovenia	24.3%84
3	Belarus	24.4%85
	...
50	Seychelles	32.1%86
51	Vanuatu	32.3%87
52=	Germany	32.4%85
52=	UK	32.4%84
52=	Nauru	32.4%88
55	Luxembourg	32.7%84
56	India	32.8%84
57=	Greece	32.9%84
	Europe Avg	30.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#beliefs #christianity #france #islam #religion #religion_in_uk #UK #UK_christianity #UK_islam #UK_religion

With over 170 distinct religions counted, the religious make-up of the UK is diverse, complex and multicultural. The 2011 Census shows that minority and alternative religions are steadily growing, as is Islam (at 5% of the population). Less than half of the British people believe in a god and from 2009 the annual British Social Attitudes results has revealed that over 50% aren't religious₈₉. A 2014 YouGov poll saw 77% of the British public say they're not very, or not at all, religious₉₀. Comprehensive professional research in 2006 by Tearfund found that 66% of the people of the UK have no connection with any religion or church₉₁.

However, people continue to put down what they think is their "official" religion on official forms. As a result of this Census Effect in the 2011 National Census, 59.3% of us put their religion down as "Christian"₉₂. Half of those who say they have no religion to pollsters still put one down on the 2011 Census. Even despite this, Christian numbers are substantially down from the 2001 figure of 72%. Religion in Britain has suffered an immense general decline since the 1950s. Between 1979 and 2005, half of all Christians stopped going to church on a Sunday. Four in five Britons want religion to be private, not public, and have no place in politics₉₃. All indicators show a continued secularisation of British society in line with other European countries such as France.

For more, see:

• "Religion in the United Kingdom: Diversity, Trends and Decline" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

For more, see:

• "Human Rights and Freedom in the UK" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

10. Christian Child Abuse in the UK (partial coverage up until 2008)₉₄

The United Kingdom has seen many cases of paedophile priests, including many cases where Bishops and other senior Christians have protected paedophiles, moving them from post to post when accusations surface.

• Child abuse priest housed by Church (BBC News 2002)
  Archbishop defends paedophile move (BBC News 2000)
  Father Michael Hill was a known paedophile, who was jailed for a 20-year span of sexual child abuse. "Archbishop Cormac Murphy-O'Connor ignored the advice of doctors and therapists that Father Michael Hill would carry on assaulting children" and reinstated him in 1985. Father Michael Hill then went on to indecently assault more altar boys before being jailed in 1997. His other victims included retards and homeless boys. When he was released, the Church again took him back under its wing, and he lived rent-free in a £100,000 flat a few minutes from a primary school. The Church argued that it wanted him to be in a position where they could supervise him, but I rather think that the Church is last organisation I'd trust to 'supervise' a paedophile, and, that when people give to church they'd rather their money went to good causes. Not many working people can even afford such a flat!

• UK Church ignoring rules on child abuse (BBC News 1999)
  An investigation a year earlier, in 1999, found similar results: "An investigation for Radio 5 Live found one priest under investigation who was still working. Another, recently suspended, was allowed to work in a primary school while under suspicion of abusing children. He had been accused of abuse twice before. Since 1996, six priests have been convicted of child abuse. In each case, the church knew of previous allegations". This was before the horrific explosion of exposés that occurred in 2002, when the world truly learnt that paedophilia and child abuse was rife within the Christian hierarchy.

• London's Ealing Abbey and St Benedicts School: "The Charity Commission has issued an unusually strongly-worded criticism of the monks of Ealing Abbey in west London, when one of their number, who was known to have abused children, was allowed to have contact with a teenager at the abbey, who he then sexually assaulted. "Father" David Pearce, a former head teacher at St Benedict's Junior School, was jailed in October after he belatedly admitted 10 indecent assaults and one sexual assault. Complaints of abuse against Pearce had already been heard in a civil court and damages were awarded against him. He was allowed to return to the Abbey, but was arrested in 2008 for sexually assaulting a sixth-form pupil who was employed to wash up for the monks. [...] The report said that the Diocese of Westminster was well aware of the allegations against Pearce and had told the trustees to keep him away from children or young people. The trustees failed to do this, and the consequent assault took place"₉₅.

  As of 2011 November, two perpetrators of sex crimes against children have been convicted, and another has jumped bail. In 2009 Oct, Father David Pearce "was jailed for eight years over a string of sex attacks on five young boys, four under 14, at St Benedict's over a period of 36 years. Earlier this month police revealed they were hunting a Catholic cleric wanted over allegations of child abuse reported to date back to when he taught at St Benedict's. Father Laurence Soper, who was abbot of Ealing Abbey from 1991 to 2000, failed to return to a police station for questioning. He is believed to have been living in a monastery in Rome and was due to return to London to answer bail in March, but he failed to turn up".₉₆

• Buckfast Abbey in Devon was under investigation for clerical child abuse, and the Catholic Church had appointed Christopher Jarvis to lead their inquiry. "The scale of abuse now being uncovered at Buckfast Abbey is disturbing. Paul Crouch 'Father Benedict' had already been jailed for ten years in 2007 for a string of offences with boys stretching over 20 years. One victim had been 'so terrified that he hid in his locker' and had 'complained to the school Matron in 1987', After an internal investigation, Crouch was allowed to carry on teaching and the police were not alerted. Father William Manahan, called 'Daddy Prior', was jailed, also in 2007, for 15 months for abuse between 1971 and 1978". Unfortunately, the safeguarding officer Chris Jarvis has now himself been jailed "for having 4,000 child abuse images on his work laptop computer, including ten involving sadistic violence, the most serious category"₉₇ and including making and distributing child porn₉₆.

  That's not quite the end due to another case unrelated to Buckfast Abbey. A now-deceased monk Father Edward Stewart 'is alleged to have repeatedly abused a young boy over three years. Even worse is that it has become clear that Stewart was moved around parishes in Britain and Scandinavia despite (and of course because of) 'frequent complaints about his behaviour'.'

  Buckfast Abbey brought in a replacement safeguarding co-ordinator, Father James Courtney, who has happened to previously 'discovered a trunk of photographs of adolescent boys engaged in sexual activities belonging to Stewart but neither he nor the Abbot reported them to the police, and the incriminating material was destroyed.' Such inactivity in the face of such serious immoral and criminal behaviour is hardly a good sign for a safety officer whose job it is to look after children's welfare against sexual abuse, especially as that person is replacing the previous safeguarding officer because he's been convicted for the type of offense he was supposed to be stopping!₉₇

  Keith Porteous Wood of the National Secular Society again highlighted his common-sense argument that no-one in the Church should be a child protection officer, and that all current plans to try to curb child abuse by Church officials lack independence.

[ + Further Cases + ]

Clergy suicide during sex abuse investigation (The Guardian 2003)

John Pugh, 54 was a minister of the United Reformed church in Stowmarket, Suffolk. Accused of indecently assaulting a teenage boy on multiple occasions, he committed suicide rather than try to defend himself in court.

Child porn charge priest in court (BBC News 2002)
Priest jailed on child porn charge (BBC News 2003)

The Dean of Reading, the Catholic priest "Michael O'Kelly, 46, appeared at Newbury Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with possessing indecent photographs of children" (BBC News 2002). He was found with 18,000 indecent photographs of children that were "disturbing, degrading and disgusting" and spent up to £1500 a month downloading these images and talking in chat rooms. He described it as his "guilty secret" and said he couldn't control it.

Eight years' jail for sex priest (BBC News 2000)

"Father Jordan, who was Cardiff City Football Club's chaplain, kept a hoard of hard core child porn on a personal computer at his presbytery in St Helen's church, Barry". This Roman Catholic priest was eventually convicted for 8 years for a "string of sex offences" including indecent assault. But a major complication was the fact that when the investigation started, someone in the Church warned him a week before he was arrested. He used the time to hide evidence - it was months after the (first) trial before police knew of the Priests computer, which contained hundreds of pictures of boys.

Abuse inquiry at top Catholic school (BBC News 2000)

Father David Martin was a chaplain at Catholic school in London. An investigation into 6 cases of abuse in the attached Church follows even though he died from a disease related to a STD which he was alleged to also have passed on to two of his victims.

Paedophile cases haunt the church (BBC News 2000)

"In October 1999, Pope John Paul II sacked Father John Lloyd, who raped a 16-year-old girl and indecently assaulted two altar boys in south Wales".

Paedophile priest jailed (BBC News 1998)

The paedophile Roman Catholic priest, Father Eric Taylor, was convicted on 16 charges of indecent assault. He worked at an Orphanage in Staffordshire. He already had previous convictions for indecent assault in 1975, where he abused four boys at his vicarage. Some of his victims had committed suicide "because they could not live with what the priest had done to them".

Father Anthony McSweeney, a Catholic priest aged 68, was under investigation for abusing 3 boys. He owned a "large collection" of gay porn, which he admitted to Southwark Crown Court, and, John Stingemore, a friend, had previously shown him porn including some child porn, and he did not think to do anything about it, and did not tell anyone about it, even though Mr Stingemore is a care home manager.₉₈. Together, they preyed on children at Grafton Close children's home in Hounslow, London. McSweeney was also "a member of the governing body of a Catholic school. [...] He was also found guilty of three counts of making indecent images of children between 2012 and 2013". Two Bishops in the Catholic Church had "ignored at least two clear warning signs of his sexual interest in children" but he was merely made subject to internal disciplinary procedures - he was sent for therapy and not reported to the police. He was jailed for three years.₉₉. If the Bishops involved acted properly, the police could have obtained more timely evidence and the conviction could have been somewhat longer, and sooner.

[ - COLLAPSE THE ABOVE SECTION - ]

For more, see:

• "Organized Coverups of Sexual Child Abuse by Priests, Clergy and Christian Institutions" by Vexen Crabtree (2009).

11. Political Problems

11.1. Brexit

#belgium #brexit #EU #france #netherlands #politics #UK #UK_politics

The UK's population faced a referendum in June 2016 on membership of the EU. The results were very close, with Leave winning by just a 2% margin (37% Voted Leave, 35% Voted Remain), but many news (and government) outlets scale up the difference by ignoring the "don't knows", and citing "Leave" as "the will of the people"₁₀₀.

Also in June 2016, the EU appointed Michel Barnier to lead a team of legal experts. A full year later, he complained that the UK had still not appointed a representative to talk to him₁₀₁. The UK arrived late and unprepared for negotiations, and engaged in a series of embarrassing and harmful name-calling tactics, publicly insulting the very people they were trying to negotiate with₁₀₂. A month into talks, and Mr Barnier is still trying to ascertain what the UK's stance is on most issues₁₀₃. The UK government has been surprised by simple facts: It argued that Euratom's treaty only covers uranium even whilst its own scientific advisors cried out that hospitals need Euratom to source medical isotopes from Belgium, the Netherlands and France as the UK doesn't have the specialist nuclear reactors to make its own₁₀₄. And as July 2017 drew to a close, the UK government finally thought to commission a year-long investigation on the economic and employment ramifications of losing EU workers. Most other responsible governments would have engaged in a fact-finding mission before making the most important decision made for 40 years. Even in 2019, when a last minute "here are the effects you need to prepare for" document was released, the title of the document was "[Insert title of report]".

Brexit within the UK's governing Conservative Party was led by a hard-core of 'Brexiteers' organized into an internal party division called the European Research Group₁₀₅, borne from a policy of removing as many foreigners as possible from the UK, no matter the cost. To achieve this, they spoke only in positive terms of the ramifications of Brexit and did not have a realistic understanding of the benefits of EU membership for the UK. With this slant, they could not give sensible advice₁₀₅ nor make practical plans on how to deal with issues arising from Brexit. Most of the prominent "Brexiteers" have exited the scene at various points₁₀₆, leaving a void filled with politicians who are pursuing a policy they don't think is good for their own country.

It is worth noting that it is not just Conservative politicians who were uninformed about the EU; in 2016 researchers found that the UK's citizens were the least knowledgeable about the EU₁₀₇. After the vote, data released by Google tragically shows that "the British are frantically Googling what the E.U. is, hours after voting to leave it". The UK has suffered from many high-profile long-term campaigns ran by sensationalist newspapers that have managed to misinform the masses on almost every aspect of EU involvement with the UK_108,109.

For more, see:

• "UK Brexit from the EU: Disorganized, Unclear and Unprepared" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

11.2. First Past the Post (FPTP) Voting System

#canada #democracy #democratic_challenges #elections #india #poland #politics #UK #USA #voting

First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) was a historical voting system₁₁₀ devised in the Middle Ages, but still in use for General Elections by the UK. It is very simple - the local candidate with the highest number of votes wins, and, government is formed from all the winners₁₁₀. But FPTP didn't survive the era of Political Parties, where its simplicity results in skewed elected bodies that don't represent the overall wishes of the country_{111,112,113,114}.

FPTP causes:

(1) A great deal of votes to be 'lost' because there's no mechanism to count party votes overall and assign a correct number of seats at the national level. In the 2024 General Election, 57.8% of votes did not result in a representative in Parliament₁₁₅. The result is grossly unfair to anyone who isn't a Conservative or Labour voter₁₁₆ - the Green Party got 6.7% of the vote but just 0.6% of seats₁₁₅. The same in 2015; the Liberal Democrats received 7.9% of the national vote but only 8 of 650 seats (just over 1%)₁₁₅. Analysts such as Gen Sandle are quite right to describe this as 'broken'₁₁₅.

(2) 'Gerrymandering' by which constituency sizes and shapes are manipulated in order to get local victories, because total votes-by-party are disregarded.

(3) Votes in populous constituencies to be worth less.

(4) The need for tactical voting rather than true voting.

(5) Undue support for popular (but small) local parties, unfairly boosting their influence at the national level. In the 2015 General Election, the Scottish National Party (SNP) won 56 seats with only 4.7% of the UK-wide vote, thanks to concentrated support in Scotland. This would also be fixed by PR, which would have granted SNP local powers, but the correct (fewer) number of seats nationally.

(6) Almost permanently squeezes-out most parties from government except the largest ones and therefore leads to two-party systems that have been so deleterious for political quality-control with the UK especially effected₁₁₆; only the USA suffers more from FPTP skews..

The overall effect is a democratic loss; a loss of representation, and a failure for democratic representation to extend to government, giving those-in-power FPTP is responsible for the diminishing of democracy, "can enflame underlying tensions, competitions, domination, clan politics, exclusion, hence conflicts"₁₁₇.

These problems are mitigated by Proportional Representation (PR) voting systems, where total votes for each party are used to assign an appropriate number of national seats, eliminating the 'lost votes' and most of the skew problems. PR has been adopted by all developed democracies except the UK and the USA₁₁₁, who both suffer from two-party political divisions that diminish their democratic legitimacy and effectiveness. About a fifth of Africa still uses FPTP, and some other developed countries such as Canada, India and Poland still use it for some elements of government. It is maintained mostly by archaic top-tier parties who have a vested interest in keeping FPTP₁₁₀ in order to continue long-term informal power-swapping practices with minimum competition.

For more, see:

• "First Past the Post (FPTP) Voting System Damages Party-Based Democracies" by Vexen Crabtree (2024).

The National Centre for Social Research has, since 1983, been tracking the support for PR in the UK, and its latest publication (2025) states that "60% of the British public now support proportional representation"₁₁₈, whilst separate research from 2024 also found that a mere 36% want to keep the current FPTP system₁₁₈.