Britain has now slipped to sixth in the rich list of nations according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

Britain's economic position has fallen from 5 to 6 having been overtaken by France in the wealth league, with other leaders including the US, Japan, Germany and China in front.

Britain is one of the world's biggest economies partly because of its financial sector - the Stockmarket and Currency markets - which between them make up a huge amount of the country's turnover.

A second and equally important factor is the shear size of its population. Britain has one of the largest populations in the western world relative to the size of the land. But politicians don't like to mention these figures because so much of Britains economic achievements are down to the number of people in the country, not necessarily the Output per Person.

This is why the top line figures look good, - loads of money passing through the system - sixth wealthiest nation in the world - but in reality - well the reality is different...Trains and health services struggle under the strain of all those 60 million people, many of whom seldom benefit from the wealth passing 'through the so-called system'.

Everyone in the UK wants health care, roads, buses, houses etc. but barely 24 million legitimate working people support this system through tax or health charges. Tens of millions of people put nothing in at all. That's why the average British family is constantly struggling with increased mortgage payments, stealth taxes, poor services and the rest.

Additionally, some economists maintain that we're trying to support an invisible 6 million people we know nothing about. That's right, there are probably at least 6 million more people in the UK than the government is willing to admit to. This, some would say, explains why every time a new hospital, road or service opens, it seems to be overflowing with people immediately!

Here's another fact.
According to the most recent official European Union figures released last year - April 2007, the UK is only the 3rd choice for immigrants entering from eastern Europe with France and Spain being top choices for eastern Europeans starting a new life. France and Spain are coping with these immigrants and not making an issue of it. Some British politicians on the other hand could almost be accused of zenophobia - using eastern europeans as an excuse for almost everything that's wrong in the UK.

Hmm..