Feeling down? Up sticks and move to the Shetlands! PM’s ‘well-being’ survey shows that’s where Brits are happiest

July 25th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Scots and Northern Irish are happier than the English and the Welsh
People aged between 16 and 19 and 65 and 79 are the happiest people in Britain
Britons are most unhappy if they live in urban areas in South Wales, the West Midlands and London

By
Steve Doughty

PUBLISHED:

07:09 EST, 24 July 2012

|

UPDATED:

01:52 EST, 25 July 2012

The Scots and Northern Irish are happier than the English and the Welsh, David Cameron’s well-being survey has concluded.

It found 29 per cent of those in England and Wales gave themselves low happiness ratings, against 28.8 per cent of Scots and 26 per cent of people in Northern Ireland.

And those living in the Orkneys, the Shetlands and the Western Isles were the happiest of all, the survey’s first annual report has shown.

happiness graphic

The islanders gave their happiness level eight out of ten, and fewer than one in six gave low scores for life satisfaction.

London and Birmingham were the most miserable cities while York was the happiest, with 83 per cent of its residents reporting medium or high satisfaction with life.

The survey found that the middle-aged are the unhappiest people in the country.

They are at the bottom of a U-shaped pattern of national happiness, while the young and the retired each came at the top.

Pensioner

Teen

Good results: Pensioners and teenagers are the happiest in Britain, according to results of a Government survey released today, which is costing £2 million

The report,
released yesterday, found that those in their 40s and 50s were
unhappier, more dissatisfied and more likely to feel anxious than
teenagers or pensioners.

The £2million-a-year inquiry into
Britain’s emotional well-being was commissioned by Mr Cameron and
carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Happy bunny: David Cameron wants to find out how Britons feel so the Government can do a better job

Happy bunny: David Cameron wants to find out how Britons really feel so the Government can do a better job

It has already been criticised for
some of its initial findings, including the rather predictable
conclusions that the employed are happier than the unemployed and those
who suffer poor health are more anxious than those in good health.

Yesterday a Labour spokesman said:
‘This is a statement of the bleeding obvious, a waste of taxpayers’
money and it makes ministers look even more out of touch.’

The 165,000 participants were asked
how happy and anxious they felt the day before, how satisfied they were
with life and how worthwhile they thought their lives were.

The findings show that the middle-aged are the worst-off generation in terms of well-being.

‘Research has shown a U-shaped relationship between life satisfaction ratings and age group,’ the report said.

‘Overall higher ratings of subjective
well-being are reported by younger and older people, and lower ratings
are reported by those in the middle years.’

Men and women aged between 45 and 54 rated their life satisfaction at 7.1 out of ten.

By contrast, teenagers and those between 65 and 80 marked themselves at 7.8 out of ten.

When it came to anxiety, the U-shape
was turned upside down. Nearly a quarter of those aged between 45 and 60
gave an anxiety rating of six out of ten.

But bearing a greater level of responsibility gave the middle-aged a sense their lives were worthwhile.

Ros Altmann, of Saga, the over-50s
group, said: ‘Those coming up to traditional retirement age are clearly
more anxious and less satisfied with their lives than those already
retired.

‘Once they are retired, perhaps people adjust to their circumstances and make the best of things.’

Lord O’Donnell, the former Cabinet Secretary behind the survey, said the results showed it is ‘bliss’ to work outdoors.

He added that the findings proved it isn’t just money that matters.

‘If you are working in forestry, or in agriculture, then you really are close to bliss,’ he said.

On average, Britons rated life satisfaction at 7.4 out of ten. Those who were married were the most satisfied, with 82 per cent recording medium to high levels.

Cohabitees came next, on 79.4 per cent, followed by single people, on 71.2 per cent, and the divorced, on 60.7 per cent.

But the ONS said it was ‘difficult to say’ whether marriage makes people happier, or happier people are more likely to marry.

The report said that ministers intend to use its findings to help direct Government spending towards people with low levels of well-being.

Glenn Everett, head of the Measuring National Well-Being Programme, said: ‘By examining and analysing both objective statistics as well as subjective information, a more complete picture of national well-being can be formed.

‘Understanding people’s views of well-being is an important addition to existing official statistics and has potential uses in the policy making process.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

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Have you noticed that all the green areas have a low immigrant rate and the orange ones have a high immigrant rate? Labour would call it a coincidence or blame ‘white exodus phenomenon’ but lets face the facts. Britons were never asked, and never wanted immigration, and this proves it.

– r d franklin, torquay, 25/7/2012 10:44

My family still miss our sojourn in the Shetlands. We were truly happy there and we’d move back tomorrow, if the jobs were available………… It is relatively expensive to live there, but the QUALITY of life is fantastic!

– Old Grumpy, Gosport, England, 25/7/2012 10:35

I’m sure we would all be a lot happier if Camoron would, just once, listen to what people are saying instead of going his own way and U-turninig at every opportunity. Please, please, please take us out of the ruinous EU before it drags all of us down into the pit with Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, etc etc. UKIP for me next time, they surely couldn’t get it worse than the present lot of muppets.

– Jester, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 25/7/2012 10:35

I would like to see this map superimposed with a map showing areas with the highest level of immigration.

– tical, somewhere, 25/7/2012 10:35

The green areas are all low population, mountainous and hilly areas. So money in the city doesn’t bring happiness….

– Trev, Somerset, 25/7/2012 10:25

I live in Shetland and yes I’m quite happy but I wasn’t aware that anyone asked me. Neither myself or anyone in my office received a copy of this survey and not one member of my family was asked! Who did they ask? Where did they get their stats from? Shetland is one of the friendliest, most beautiful places in the world….but….like every where else it’s going down the pits! We’re happy because we’ve got a brilliant sense of community and try to get along with each other but with the influx of foreigners and drug users and people who want to abuse the system it’s just turning out like everywhere else and it’s harder and harder to keep it the way it was. Ask us again in 5-10 years time and i’m sure you’ll get a different response. It’s such a shame!!

– Little Britches, As far north as you can go!, 25/7/2012 10:18

Why restrict it to the British Isles.
I’m down here in France and 99% of Brits are totally content with life.
We enjoy much better weather.
Much less traffic.
Wine at 80p a LITRE
And we can watch the Olympics on TV without all the disruption.
Cheers.

– FRANK, SLOUGH, 25/7/2012 10:15

The reason that the people of the Shetlands are the happiest is because they don’t have the world and his sister living there!

– The Fall of Britain and UKIP member, No Justice for the Law-abiding, 25/7/2012 10:09

I don’t count cos I don’t remember being asked? How many were asked exactly. My daughters weren’t asked either! Nor were any of my other relatives – so who took the survey?

– swilk, hosm, 25/7/2012 10:05

Well this was a waste of money wasn’t it! Obviously 16-19 year olds and 65+ are going to be happier, they are the students and the retired! And as for happiness by geography, London is expensive to live in, wages are not equal to the cost of living hence unhappy residents. And weren’t areas of the West Midlands recently voted as the worst place to live by the Rough Guide?

– Isn’t it obvious?, London, 25/7/2012 09:41

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