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Fellow Brits, in one word, what is the biggest problem facing our country?

Posted by KayakedCobra@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 154 comments

In just ONE word or phrase, what is the biggest problem facing the UK in 2026?

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154 Comments

sublime_369@reddit

Psychopathy.
View on Reddit #77712194

spookalip@reddit

Since “covid” Gas +45% Electric +60% The uk is the highest in Europe. Crippling every other industry as people have no money. Fix that they will fix the uk. Oh and a few other things….
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SomeHSomeE@reddit

1 word mate 
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spookalip@reddit

? Are you ok.
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d_dawg_23@reddit

Why did you put Covid in quotation marks?
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spookalip@reddit

Never seen a scare quote befor?
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toon_84@reddit

SEND  Now I must explain this as I'm not against every child having the right to an education but it now seems to become a badge of honour for some parents and I have a wild conspiracy that some academy's are going heavy on it to get budget increases.  What started as a genuine attempt to have disabled kids come through standard schools has lead to disruptive kids ruining lessons for kids that want to knuckle down and extra pressure on teachers that have to deal with it all. 
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gummibear853@reddit

It is very much not a badge of honour. Traditional schooling doesn’t work anymore for some kids. They’re the sort who would get beaten by their teachers and bullied by the other kids for being a weirdo.
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toon_84@reddit

Which is why they were sent to a separate school where their needs could be met.  But now there are more and more kids being diagnosed with ADHD, Autism, and other cognitive conditions the SEND schools couldn't cope with the demand so the kids are being left in standard education with extra help which in turn has led to lessons being disrupted by bad behaviour and the curriculum being changed to suit the needs of them.  The neuro typical kids are being held back by all the disruption.  And yes, I've seen some parents wearing some diagnosis as a badge of honour. 
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gummibear853@reddit

In what way are they a badge of honour? As in, parent of child who causes disruption in class will say “yeah he’s got ADHD…” (shrugs)” and won’t engage with the school to find a solution?
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toon_84@reddit

I didn't say they were a badge of honour. I said some parents use the diagnosis as a badge of honour. In other words the small minority that can't handle the child will push to get them labeled and then they can use it as a reason to justify them being a lazy parent. The kid has been tear arsing around a shop but it's ok they have ADHD and it will be the first thing that comes out of their mouth.  Facebook posts like "my child's super power is autism" 
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d_dawg_23@reddit

What is SEND?
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arnoldlayne_1@reddit

Special needs and the person above can kiss my ass.
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toon_84@reddit

Very mature discussion that.  I'm also wondering why what happens in UK schools would upset an American.
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arnoldlayne_1@reddit

Oh I have to prove I'm British do I? Well. How about stop making assumptions, you contemptuous bellend?
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Dry-Depth-4693@reddit

Humans
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Specialist_-Berry@reddit

Nice try AI
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Dry-Depth-4693@reddit

Foiled again! Blast. Animals are just so much easier to deal with though.
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huntsab2090@reddit

Far right dipshit wankers
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Specialist_-Berry@reddit

You seem to hold a lot of hate
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huntsab2090@reddit

To people ruining the world ? Yes .
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Snarlvlad@reddit

Mealdeals. Some absolute wrong uns in that subreddit.
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LessieLabrys@reddit

USA
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Bantabury97@reddit

Twats
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Specialist_-Berry@reddit

Leave then
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PostMax20@reddit

AI
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Specialist_-Berry@reddit

AI gud
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mhoulden@reddit

Xenophobia
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EducationalPen3376@reddit

Arsewank.
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the1stcobra@reddit

Propaganda
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dreadwitch@reddit

Right
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Mxk_Monlee@reddit

Okay Fed
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DefinitelyNotEmu@reddit

Fascism
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Aggressive-Bad-440@reddit

Wage compression and lack of opportunities to move up and access a decent salary. I'd say nowadays with so many people in the so-called higher rate tax band and so much wage compression at the bottom, you can't call anything less than £75k a decent salary anymore. I'm stuck on £40k, went into tax, got fucked over on my grad scheme and ended up stuck at this level. If I had my time again I'd have done nuclear engineering, and got into fitness, climbing and triathlon sports more in uni. But no, I came from a non sporty family so I had to figure that all out as an adult and I come from a white collar family so of course that seemed natural.
View on Reddit #77340439

MudNext5256@reddit

Based on many of these answers, illiteracy.
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Artistic_Train9725@reddit

Yeah, and people what don't read and rite proppa England
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d_dawg_23@reddit

Please explain
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MelibuBerbie@reddit

Misinformation.
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sparklychestnut@reddit

Perhaps more importantly, disinformation.
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mushroomhype@reddit

1000% (and a lack of critical thinking/media literacy!)
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RemarkableKiwi3876@reddit

The government who are controlled by outsiders. Hence why we’re never gonna progress. They don’t care about us ✌🏽
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dewittless@reddit

Oversimplification
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WranglerSure9966@reddit

Lack of discipline and common sense
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YouCanShoveYourMagic@reddit

Government simply not recognising the fact that the poorest of us simply cannot afford to live. Rent is ridiculously high, housing is scarce, food is expensive, everything costs more and more in real terms but they just don't feel the effects because they live in an ivory tower. They don't really care because they can afford their heating bills, their children can easily find housing, food bills are paid without a moment's thought. It's easy for them.
View on Reddit #77336015

PepsiMaxSumo@reddit

Ironically, this is the one thing they are arguably the most aware of, and is the reason why minimum wages have increased so sharply in recent years. IIRC, if it wasn’t for sustained policies to drive the lowest wages up over the last 20 years, then the poorest in society should’ve been far far far worse off than they are today.
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KayakedCobra@reddit (OP)

You could have just said 'cost of living'
View on Reddit #77336397

Corona21@reddit

Rentierism
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DavidRellim@reddit

It's climate change. Same as anywhere else.
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ripgd@reddit

Tax.
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d_dawg_23@reddit

Naaaaah
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Acrobatic-Ad584@reddit

national Insurance
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d_dawg_23@reddit

Naaaah
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HistoryDisastrous493@reddit

Fucking idiots. Sorry that's two words
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baldy-84@reddit

Excessive government regulation of the economy. The government has had immense regulatory control over all aspects of the economy since the war, with some variation, and the results are absolutely abysmal. We have been the sick man of Europe for most of that time with our economic advantages reduced to dust, and the periods of success have largely corresponded with strong global economic winds or local periods of deregulation. I used to believe in the post-war settlement, and it does sound good on paper, but it failed. I now believe it was the biggest mistake in this country's history. We didn't even make twenty years before we were drawing on IMF loans in the 60s, and then came the bailout in the 70s that ushered in Thatcer, The government is not capable of running the economy to the degree we pretend. The civil service will run any business straight into the ground if given power over it.
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Terrible_Ad_8614@reddit

> ONE word
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baldy-84@reddit

One word or phrase. The first sentence is the phrase. The rest is the justification, which I expect most people won't read but it makes me feel better..
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nikobenjamin@reddit

Stupity
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Greg-Normal@reddit

Religious assimilation!
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PerLin107@reddit

Greed
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d_dawg_23@reddit

I thought you had written “Creed”, and spent a second trying to figure out how the band could be “the” biggest problem haha
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metimmee@reddit

The right wing media running the country down and the people who amplify it.
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Neat-Possibility6504@reddit

Read the fucking question!
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dugerz@reddit

it says phrase
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AngryGardenGnomes@reddit

It sounds lke you don't know what the word phrase means.
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Marshmallowmind2@reddit

Self-comparison-to-others-via-social-media
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PsychologySpecific16@reddit

Productivity
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Delicious-Being-6531@reddit

Russia
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eidolon_eidolon@reddit

Poor parenting.
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Fearless_Cream8710@reddit

That’s two words, poor education
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tobotic@reddit

Post title says one word, but post body says one word or phrase.
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AngryGardenGnomes@reddit

That's also two words, poor phrasing.
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cupidstunt01@reddit

Too many freeloaders.
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d_dawg_23@reddit

I assume you’re referring to billionaires
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cupidstunt01@reddit

No.
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d_dawg_23@reddit

Please expand on your point
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cupidstunt01@reddit

No, I am not referring to billionaires.
View on Reddit #77336158

d_dawg_23@reddit

Please enlighten us to who you’re referring to
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cupidstunt01@reddit

Not billionaires.
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d_dawg_23@reddit

Who then? Don’t be shy.
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cupidstunt01@reddit

I am not being shy - just can't be bothered to deal with the usual pile-on. Draw your own conclusions.
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d_dawg_23@reddit

Why bother commenting if you can’t engage further. Feels like a flimsy excuse
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Classic_Mammoth_9379@reddit

The guy wasn’t able to count to one FFS, what did you expect?
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d_dawg_23@reddit

I blame myself
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TD__100@reddit

Badenoch
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oh_f-f-s@reddit

Unempathetic
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wardyms@reddit

Ignorance.
View on Reddit #77336710

avalonMMXXII@reddit

Many Brits are losing their heritage and emulating other countries now...also many Brits are not having kids and face a population decline genetically. Of course I have lived in the Britain and the USA so maybe i'm a bit scattered, but it seems Britain in the 1980s was more "British" that it is today, you also had American's copying British music and fashion in the early-mid 1980s as well. Can't say any country is copying us Brits today though like they used to.
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derrickcrash@reddit

> Can't say any country is copying us Brits today though like they used to. If this isn't the equivalent of smelling your own farts and enjoying them, I don't know what is.
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Dramatic-Ad-4607@reddit

Classism
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Chance-Bread-315@reddit

Fascism
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Nights_Harvest@reddit

Misinformation
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Billy_Rizzle@reddit

Okay. Let’s be honest, could be better, could be a whole lot worse too
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Due_Imagination6590@reddit

Mass uncontrolled immigration
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bright_sorbet1@reddit

Nope.
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d_dawg_23@reddit

Nah
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Mother_Ad7869@reddit

Potholes
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dpr60@reddit

Social fragmentation
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RepresentativeSun588@reddit

Coconuts.
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Virtuous-Patience@reddit

Corporate profit shipping offshore. (Can’t say it in one word since it’s not actually corruption as it’s legal)
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LittleSadRufus@reddit

If we're allowed hyphenated words: late-stage-capitalism. Which at least offers hope there's a different, maybe better, stage afterwards
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Siggi_Starduust@reddit

David Attenborough
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N-F-F-C@reddit

Division
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d_dawg_23@reddit

Wealth inequality
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AngryGardenGnomes@reddit

That's two words. You could have summed it up more succinctly by just typing either 'wealth' or 'inequality'. The second words are implied. It also would have, ironically, widened the scope of your answer.
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N-F-F-C@reddit

“In one word or phrase”
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d_dawg_23@reddit

Cheers
View on Reddit #77336157

AngryGardenGnomes@reddit

No problem. Need any more advice?
View on Reddit #77336252

d_dawg_23@reddit

Can you define the term “phrase” for us?
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BrandyWineBridge1402@reddit

Everton
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nelbertred@reddit

Politicians
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bawjaws2000@reddit

Greed
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shitehead_revisited@reddit

Freddos
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ekatra@reddit

Illiteracy
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CreativeAdeptness477@reddit

People
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TimorousWarlock@reddit

Capitalism 
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Mincey808@reddit

NotEnoughDrinkingToForget
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Trycheesecake@reddit

It’s mad when things get hard why always blame the “IMMIGRANTS”
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It531z@reddit

Growth
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FreeTheDimple@reddit

Fearmongering
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Prof_Hentai@reddit

USA
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Cowsudders@reddit

Internet
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MeltingChocolateAhh@reddit

Liverpool
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WontTel@reddit

Ignorance
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ahoneybadger3@reddit

Entitled.
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Immorals1@reddit

Greed
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ahoneybadger3@reddit

Rich.
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dugerz@reddit

Social media psychologically damaging an entire population
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fake_cheese@reddit

Ideologists 
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Just-Negotiation-69@reddit

Ourselves.
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InaccurateCreativity@reddit

Misinformation in all forms of media, with the recent addition of AI assistance.
View on Reddit #77336046

Sorry_Emergency_7781@reddit

Facism
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beyond_the-light@reddit

All of the above
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avalonMMXXII@reddit

Many Brits are losing their heritage and emulating other countries now...also many Brits are not having kids and face a population decline genetically.
View on Reddit #77335658

Virtuous-Patience@reddit

We are genetic mongrels anyway. There is no British gene pool to protect… our diverse ancestry is a huge benefit
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Fearless_Cream8710@reddit

This is a worldwide issue
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InteractionHairy6112@reddit

Nationalism
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TheDawiWhisperer@reddit

Arsenal
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TheBeliskner@reddit

Industrial policy
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Fun-Estate4188@reddit

C*nts
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Mc_and_SP@reddit

Negativity https://preview.redd.it/68p47zj1wrgg1.png?width=799&format=png&auto=webp&s=014b7a48818d2ea2651ae0092408098b322a6c50
View on Reddit #77335931

MercatorLondon@reddit

Public debt
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gpowerf@reddit

Declinism
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EverydayDan@reddit

Corporation tax
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Few-Calligrapher3910@reddit

Prices
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Quirky_Raspberry_901@reddit

Low wages
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Fearless_Cream8710@reddit

You can’t describe it in one , is this the midnight quiz?
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KayakedCobra@reddit (OP)

Every country has many problems, we as citizens of a county just care more about the ones that affect us, I'm just interested what British people think the biggest is
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Majestic-Age-9232@reddit

Billionaires
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Urbanyeti0@reddit

Inequality
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Alternative_Week_117@reddit

Manipulation.
View on Reddit #77335594

bishopsfinger@reddit

Farage.
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Nomis1982@reddit

Racism
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insound0@reddit

Apathy
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