What will the UK look like in 20 years?

Demographically it will continue to change.

1981 - 96% White
1991 - 95% White
2001 - 92% White
2011 - 87% White
2021 - ???? (probably early 80s)

Western Europe is increasingly becoming a multiracial hub (which is a good thing IMO). In 20 years the UK white population will likely be in the 70s. Ireland will do so as well but it will take longer.

Dexter Vast Hanger wrote: »

Reckon Scotland will shortly leave, Ireland will become an economic union of sorts, Wales will have the begging cup out.
But even after all this, London will push for a 'full reversal', ideally closer ties with the 3/4 indepedent nations, and ultimately full euro-re-union.

By which time (2038) the EU will have taken the Western Balkands, Turkey, and have a very serious interest in Ukraine, and North Africa (Barcelona agreement).

2018's Universal Credit will be replaced with Universal Basic Income (sounds similar but very different).
Most folks will be twiddling their thumbs as a higer inteligence (ai) tells us what's best for us, and auto-task it upon itself.

Unless religion is banned outright by then (by the ai or spacefolks checking in), there will be widespread community tension as to who's godhead is the coolest.
The below graphic is a 'high sceanario' pattern, but even medium shows that the uk will be about 12% muslim as it approaches 2050.



/Otherwise, if brexit goes hard-on (the eu de-stabalises) the UK will instead search desperately for full partnership e.g. with the US (including free open movement of people, services and goods). We'll all take up baseball, rapping and the accents will become 'ever so valley'.

China will be the new bossman squirting it's soy sauces around, and all countries will need partnership agreements just to attempt to compete with the mighty dragon.

I hope im dead by the time Turkey get in.

So in 2040 I think several trends will sorta have been turbo charged by brexit.

Politically there won't be any outside actor to blame - no more bloody brussels getting in the way - as an argument for policy failures. Essentially the buck will stop in London. The fig leaf of the EU will not be nearly so available for UK born mistakes. That's not to say the argument won't still be used tho. On that basis politics becomes a rougher game - labour in a poorer country push harder with benefits and social welfare. All the young corbynists now in their 20s are running the party. Some have moderated into a slightly more Blair like ethos but it's still heavily lefty. The Tories meanwhile are struggling, lots of moderates were discussed by the brexit infighting, though they try to retake the party they're be beaten by the true believers with a good base amongst the increasingly elderly party faithful. Over all it's moving to being almost an amerian republican lite party. Low tax and low welfare - which to be fair by 2040 the UK can I'll afford.

Population has boomed to over 75 million, bigger cities and especially London are getting less and less livable, transport infrastructure is creaking at the seams while services like the NHS and Met struggle badly. Prisons are squalid and over crowded, judges after a crisis of legitimacy over short sentences for violent and sexual offences have been far less lenient in their handing out of prison terms. Many britons with European passports have left, notably for Ireland, Spain and France.

Key Social issues concern religious freedom vs secular law. An effort to ban halal slaughtered meat by animal rights groups was recently passed but this lead to large protests by an increasingly vocal Muslim community. Elderly Care is also at the forefront of politics, a number of scandals at care homes and the high number of elderly poor, means it's a hot political issue as the society ages.

The wealthy have moved away from State services and now by and large pay themselves for private schooling, medical treatment and increasingly security. Test have been areas of solid growth, with private hospitals now accounting for a quarter of treatment. Despite labour's tax policies the rich have sequestered their money eithet off shore or in Bitcoin type assets. The average PAYE worker has a lower rate tax level of 35% with higher earners seeing taxes about 60%. Two widely accepted policies have been inheritance duties, and a land tax which to sone degree has cooled off the housing market.

Education wise there has been a divergence in University education, a top ten of places like imperial and Cambridge charge like US institutions, where's a larger rump group have had to slash costs or close. The student debt burden has undermined the ability of the young to start their lives, buy still expensive houses or form businesses. Many now see third level studies as a fools game. Social mobility has reversef, with little movement between the upper and lower social strata.

The royals enjoy an all time high level of repsect, they have avoided most scandal and are seen as one of the few stable institutions. King William is widely liked, tho a republican movement has also emerged on the left.

Media wise there are now two big papers the daily mail and guardian. Each with significant political clout The ft still exists and is the only one seen as neutral. The web has essentially destroyed the rest. The BBC meanwhile now only produces content, then idea of having to channels was seen as irrelevant by 2035. Most entertainment is found on Netflix and Amazon. Radio and podcasts as a medium have grown widely, although the space is fragmented and often given to extreme views. Tommy Robinson has a popular show.

Lastly economically british people have sone badly, the initial brexit shock was followed by a decade of stagnation. Known as the lost years 2025 to 2035 seen almost no wage growth and tell hollowing out of then city of London. Foreign firms and investors now own swaths of British industry and property. Test left in particular had been calling for sport to be nationalised after Saudi investors merged Tottenham and Arsenal so as to qualify for the European ultra league.

This is enjoyable fiction writing!