A mum-of-one says her family has ditched the UK to world school their son - because it's turned into a "dangerous, scary and bleak" place."



Diana Auria, 36, and husband, Jack McLoughlin, 37, made the decision to leave the UK for Manilla, Philippines, in January 2025.

The mum, originally from Folkestone, Kent, says the UK "needs to get its s**t together" and blamed the death of the high street, terrorism and "the threat of nuclear war" for leaving, among other factors. "

Now, she and Jack, a

production company founder, are working remotely as "digital nomads" travelling Southeast Asia - and their son, four, is being world-schooled by his parents. "

Diana, a fashion designer, said: "For us, the negatives of the UK outweigh the positives - and for now, we're going to be travelling around and world-schooling our son. "

"We want a year of seeing all the places we can - Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. "

"We're still figuring out somewhere we can settle. "

"It's always been in the back of our minds to live abroad - but the UK has been in such a decline over the last three years. "

"As soon as we came out here, I was able to relax for the first time in a long time."

Diana and Jack lived in Folkestone for 10 years, before catching a one-way flight to Manilla on January 27.

But the couple's anxiety around the UK kept growing - despite being able to do all the things they loved, like seeing family and going to music festivals.

The mum-of-one said the UK has become "really bleak" - and feels "sad" about how quickly it's going "downhill." "

"England is so uninspiring right now," she said. "

"Other countries haven't been hit by ‘the death of the high street' like we have. "

"The Philippines has malls the size of Bluewater, everywhere, and they're thriving. "

"You go to a mall in the UK now, and half the shops are shut."

"Even the weather is dismal - the winters drag on, and there isn't much of a chance to live an outdoorsy lifestyle."

The young family also found themselves with "permanent anxiety" about dangers within the UK - from terrorism to the threat of nuclear war. "

Diana says she fell into a "rabbit hole" of finding out about how London would be impacted if it were bombed - and she began to feel unsafe. "

She also worried about crime rates rising, after hearing about a friend who was mugged by teens at knifepoint.

"I do have war anxiety - which I guess stemmed from Russia and Ukraine," she added. "

"Tensions were very heightened and there was a lot of news coverage, and fear mongering. "

"I guess it's my own fault for going down rabbit holes, trying to learn about it all, but I'd end up finding visuals on nuclear bombs landing in London. "

"It's all bad news after bad news - as a mother, I'm far more hyper-aware about safety than I was before."

"The UK is just on a real decline on so many fronts." "

By taking their son out of school, Diana and Jack now have more time to take him to see his family around the world.

Diana says the fear of hefty school fines was another incentive for moving - because she often wanted to take him travelling during term-time.

"The threat of school fines made me feel claustrophobic," she added. "

"The government doesn't own our kids, and they don't get to decide their opportunities." "

Now, after moving temporarily to Manilla, Diana says she feels more relaxed, less anxious - and fears of impending war have been pushed to the back of her mind.

She's been able to take her son to the beach, to taste new food and has walked him along "bustling high streets" - and says it's "so much better than the UK."

But the mum hasn't ruled out returning to the UK permanently one day - as long as it's "improved."

Diana said: "There's a lot to love about the UK - Jack and I really love festival season, in particular. "

"London can also be great for adults in their 20s. "

"I've even got my little beach hut in Folkestone, which I absolutely love."

"It's just that there are so many more negatives at the moment - to which I say: ‘Make Britain Great Again."