I'm not sure what the right balance is, but I feel there is a slight aspect of _we can't have it all_. We're not prepared to have a debate in the UK about what the NHS should and shouldn't do, yet at the same time people are living longer and want to pay less tax. Something has to give.

Tbh, I'm happy to save for my retirement, but I'm slightly biased towards a slightly less welfare society (though not as far as removing essential support and health care). I can choose to save more now for an earlier retirement, for example. I think the auto enrollment has gone a long way there.