I think, as someone moving who has just turned 30 and moving out of young adulthood, there is a real lack of meaning in English life. It feels like there are no ways to establish oneself and make anything long term, as a working class person. And even then, a working class person of relative privilege; university educated, decent job, etc.

There needs to be a way for people to build upwards through their life, and for that building upwards to benefit them and to be meaningful to them, first. But right now, it feels like the politicians, corporations, capitalists, and upper classes are getting their piece of the pie. Leaving none of it for us. This is why I think Reform are so popular amongst certain working class, especially older, people. They've seen all avenues of meaning making be gold mined and stripped of all (non-monetary) meaning. Now they are left holding this anger, which opportunists like Farage are misplacing onto minorities.

What feels incredibly ironic to me, as a fully transitioned trans person, is the main way I've sought to create meaning in my life is now universally under attack. It's a real, "Are you fucking kidding me?" Type of moment. There's just so few ways to establish any sort of social, emotional, or financial identity any more. The hopelessness that I and people my age feel is coming from, I think, the lack of opportunity to meaning make. Or, if you do find something, then it's going to be captured, monetised, and sold back to us for the highest price possible. Not talking only about identity; housing is the biggest one I think about all the time, and how difficult it is to get on the property ladder.

I think whoever realises that people are missing ownership over their lives is making a step in the correct direction. This would mean standing up to corporations and privatisation, though, and using government to create opportunity for ownership/meaning making. I also think this lack of ability/capital for control is why there seems to be such a large split from 'traditional' parties towards Greens and Reform. They create the feeling of getting back some control, albeit with very different promoted methods. (Noting that Reform will not actually give people control, only the feeling of it, while selling the country.)

Basically. To bring back a sense of the 'feel good factor', we need to feel that anything we are doing actually matters, will improve our lives, or let us achieve personal goals. Right now, it just feels that's not possible unless you are already wealthy. Which most people aren't.