Community, Education and UK news

It has struck me, since I have been living in Switzerland, and since I will soon return to the UK, that people here live and function in communities far more effectively than in the UK. Most of the housing here is made up of four or more floor blocks of flats (even older houses like the one pictured appear to house several families), that are predominantly rented, unlike the UK's dominance of private ownership and individual family homes of two or more bedrooms in mainly detached suburban estates. The city here is very compact, with far less suburbia leading to a greater sense of community, less reliance on cars and out-of-town shopping centres. That is not to say that such things don't exist, they are just less of a focal point and offer less of a threat to established, smaller, high quality shops.
The education system is also completely the opposite of the UK. Private education is the inferior sector here as because the state system is so good and well funded that only pupils who fail their studies or drop out are forced to pay to complete their education in the private sector, which somehow seems fairer, and makes sense. In the UK not only is private education better, but only the rich can afford it, AND the sector has charitable status so gets tax breaks. Failing pupils are bounced around the state system and are failed by it. After primary school pupils already start to specialise into ability and career path, something only begun at 13 in the UK. They are divided here between academic and vocational. There are also in most cantons, unlike the UK, several different schools depending on attainment level. Also the A-level equivalent system is much harder, with a much greater emphasis on languages, typically at least two having to be studied.  
Every so often I have been checking back on the BBC news website and Guardian to 'keep up to date' as it were and I've been feeling increasingly distant from events in the UK that no longer seem relevant to people's real lives. It could just be living at a distance but the UK government seems increasingly out of touch although there seems to be no real opposition to what they are doing (despite it being apparent that Labour are saying the right things they don't seems to be getting anywhere) up to the point that Jeremy Hunt seems to have gotten away with some pretty dodgy behaviour, Boris Johnson got re-elected and David Cameron doesn't understand what LOL means. What are the Lib Dems doing anyway. And with the Queen's jubilee farce going on it all looks like Thatcher's Britain all over again. I really cannot understand the national pride in a monarchy with historical blood on its hands, no real English blood in its veins and having done nothing of value for the nation except constantly draining it of resources for idiotic events like this. I just don't get it. Coverage of the events in the news was total, and seemed to drown out events in Syria and other issues that should be seen as far more important. I don't want to sound like a leftist Glen Beck but what is happening? I thought the phone hacking would destroy the Murdock monopoly and reinvigorate proper investigative journalism. It seems it has only forced it further back into its shell so celebrities can carry on their affairs in peace...