[throwawaythrow1]

Long time UK contractor/freelancer here, I've also done a lot of hiring in the UK.

The problem over the past few years has been IR35 which has effectively gutted/killed the UK contractor market (including lorry drivers and temp roles).

Because of this many companies will only take on contractors within scope of IR35 which drives down the day rate. So employers have found it easier to focus on permanent recruitment.

Your best bet is to look for contracts overseas, or just move out of the UK. I've had some success with braintrust (usebraintrust.com) but with US orgs

[jacknews]

I'm always put off by sites like these, and eg turing.com, where all the featured developers appear to be from much less well-off countries. It seems like it might be code for low rates and exploi ... wage arbitrage.

I'm a westerner now living in such a country, and the reality is that living a western-level lifestyle, particularly as a foreigner (international schools etc), is actually more expensive than living in your home country.