Britain is not Europe. Britain is a miserable, second world place full of astoundingly ugly urban sprawl and uncouth people who get drunk to relax. The food is lousy (yeah yeah in London you can eat well, but try getting out of the capital into say, East Yorkshire, and finding edible food), the trains are filthy, and they make a cult out of yobbishness and class prejudice.
I fled the UK for Europe ASAP, and after 12 years in France, came to California, where I can have a decent conversation without people trying to put me in a class box as soon as I open my mouth, buy great produce at farmers markets, eat fabulously out, have friends of different kinds without being called a snob, shop for books in English, listen to great radio, and get out into wonderful countryside.
The govt, it is true, sucks, as does the health system. But you choose your priorities and Britain gives me the creeping horrors. I like my fellow expats well enough though--they generally have a good sense of self deprecating humour and are fun to be with. Hang with us here Spidra, or go to real Europe. Try Amsterdam, Rome, Nice, Athens, Berlin, Dubrovnic. Don't waste your time in the UK.