… To be considering leaving the UK?

[globalnomad25]

We have been considering leaving, even if only for a few years. Many of our clients have already gone or are planning it, and some of our friends too.

I’m not sure where we’d go: UAE, Portugal, Jersey, Ireland, Canada, Australia? We don’t currently want to move to the US, even though that would probably make the most sense from a business/client point of view.

For those out there who have already left, how has it gone? Was it a horrible mistake or are you glad you did it?

For those also thinking about it, where would you go?

Kids are school-aged and smart and used to international travel as our work already takes us all over, although they’d miss their friends (as would we). We aren’t English so our family is already based all over the place, although we visit them frequently.

The UK is 2-tier when the government and institutions treat people differently for political or ideological reasons. Sometimes also linked to expediency.

The blind eye turned to the grooming gangs, for a start. And Kier Starmer seemed to condone that disgraceful failure, by trying to prevent a national enquiry.

Also led by Kier Starmer: the different treatment of rioters last summer depending on their race. The book was (rightly) thrown at white rioters, they were named and sham in the papers and given prison sentences. Existing prisoners were even released to make space for them in prison. A 12 year old boy was prosecuted in court for throwing 2 stones at police officers and going to watch (but not take oart in) the riots... but at the same time, nothing seems to have come of the masked Muslim rioters who attacked a pub whilst people sheltered inside and slashed the tires of the news crews cars. Nothing in the news linked to the original article, so iit would appear they didn't end up being charged.

It's often heavy-handed policing of easy targets: eg 6 police officers turning up to arrest Maxie Allen, and Rosalind Levine for being rude about their kid's teachers on WhatsApp - or women being arrested and held in cells for tying feminist ribbons in protest at the loss of single-sex spaces - all whilst the police are 'too busy' to stop the epidemic of shoplifting.

It all destroys our sense of a fair society.

The 1-in-1-out swap isn’t enough to be a deterrent. They're just being returned to France, ready to try again.

The Rwanda scheme would probably have worked very quickly and with very few people actually being deported before behaviour changed. Something similar has been proposed by Germany and the Netherlands.

The alternative is to stop the black narket economy. Definitely worth doing, but harder.

The data does not support the “Two-Tier” claims.

Why Labour’s fault and not the Tories - where most Reform votes have gone?

Labour have tried to tell us that things are not true too many times, when it is evident that it is true. Doesn't work any more.

33% of the 6.8 million people who voted Conservative at the last election are now saying they'll vote reform (2.24 million), and 9% of the 9.7 million who voted Labour (0.87 million).!and 8% of the 3.5 million who voted Lib Dem (0.28 million). 4 million already voted Reform last election.

Reform support has come from across the political spectrum.

And according to a You gov poll 40% of those saying they'd vote for Reform are doing so basically because they think neither of the main parties are any good and a new approach is needed.

Like Brexit, they feel that neither party is listening. If voters are repeatedly told that the things they're most concerned about aren't happening and aren't important, then eventually they'll look for another way to address them. In this case, Reform.

The Conservatives were starting to address them, but imploded. A lot of that was their own fault - but also voters get fed up of most parties after 14 years, and the global pandemic certainly wasn't an easy backdrop. Not dissimilar to how Labour imploded in 2010 after 13 years in power, the middle east wars and the global recession. It took Labour 10 years to sort themselves out.

Labour are in power now. They're a year in, and should be getting things done. The disillusionment is on them.

Reform’s outcome is closely linked to migration policies. If Labour see crossings just go up Reform get more support.

Both main parties lose voters as that happens.

ETA this has more influence than anything the conservatives can do which is why it’s not really about the leader.

There has been a national inquiry, .May set one up in 2014, it reported 8 years later and the Tories chose not to implement a single recommendation - this of course is Starmers fault.

Why do you want more delay?? Why not ensure we have a Police service and courts system fit to be able to prosecute and a care system able to support vulnerable children.... ALL Tory failures.

Masked men fail to be prosecuted? ha ha maybe no one knows who they are? bit different to someone caught of CCTV, parading his face to all isn't it?

This is the same with the men who attacked Police at an airport, i heard many people moaning about 2 Tier policing, i pointed out they had pleaded Not Guilty, hence the trial will be in many months time - as is happening right now.

Reform is just an idea, an ideology, Farage has not even got enough MPs lined up to vote for? Who do all these people think they are voting for locally? We do not elect our prime minister in this country directly, the party in question does. Who is going to be standing for Reform in all these constituencies? When push comes to shove are people really going to vote for some chancers they found down the pub?

The Conservatives were starting to address them, but imploded. A lot of that was their own fault - but also voters get fed up of most parties after 14 years, and the global pandemic certainly wasn't an easy backdrop. Not dissimilar to how Labour imploded in 2010 after 13 years in power, the middle east wars and the global recession. It took Labour 10 years to sort themselves out

Labour implode??? the Tories didn't even win a majority in 2010, i believe, may be wrong about this, Lab could have stayed in power with LD support.

Labour are in power now. They're a year in, and should be getting things done. The disillusionment is on them

Oh yes, 14 years of mis management and corruption cannot even be begun to be sorted inside 12 months, especially with an economy with very little money but they have made some great decisions and policies, which just get dismissed and/or ignored by the media.

There isn't going to be an election until 2029, i will give Lab another couple of years before i will write them off.

However, the expenses stuff Starmer got involved in, though no rules broken, was a massive own goal and one i was extremely pissed off about, this has had a massive impact on public disillusionment, along side a Tory party that everyone can see has wrecked the UK, few take them seriously, their polling is far behind Labours.

50 migrants exchanged each week in a pilot. 1 in 17 of current crossings.

The happiest political party from that won’t be Labour

I live in Ireland, which if you can afford housing can be a really nice place to live. I like it anyway. But like everywhere in the world it has its own set of problems. So it depends on what you trying to get away from maybe where you choose.

You're doing it again - supported Rwanda as a deterrent, lambasted Labour for dropping it, despite Rwanda only promising to take 1000 per year, less than 1% per year.

Yet Labours plan means 3000 returns to France but now it isn't a deterrent.

Why not see how it pans out? but no, knock Labour whatever they do or try to do, even when its sorting out the disaster of a migration system the Tories gave us.

Its a pilot scheme after all.

You over focus on posts on here. Look to what Labour are doing. It’s why you are losing so much support.

As for comparing to a deterrent well let’s see. Back to France isn’t to Rwanda after all.

I'd have thought a migrant isn't going to pay a trafficker $5000 to cross, only to be sent back again.

On support, latest basket of polling is:

Con 16% down 2
Reform 26% down 2
Labour 24% UP 2

16%, thats just 1 pt ahead of the LibDems.

Gap narrowing, still 4 years to go, Badenoch and Farage, much like Tory supporters on here, offer nothing, just criticism.

It’s only a few Labour posters on here fixated on Tories.

It’s Reform v Labour. Reform is leading the polls after all.

As for criticism all Labour had was we’re not them which is what they cling to now.

That doesn’t help either.

The OBR warned on Tuesday that “increased treasury reliance on a small and mobile group of taxpayers” was a risk to public finances.
Yet Starmer has not ruled out wealth taxes? That means people will pull out more money and long term gilt prices for us all will rise further potentially? Why not just have a bonfire of actual pounds in Westminster at this rate?

@globalnomad25 the Living Overseas board on here is useful also if you haven’t found it yet.

There's an insightful column by James Kanagasooriam (sp?) is today's Times about AI's impact on future employment and where the axe is likely to fall hardest. And part of it refers to politics and whose votes are moving to Reform. I can't link it yet as it's behind the paywall, but the psephological interpretation he gives strikes home very hard. It will make very uncomfortable reading for a significant chunk of metropolitan liberal MN.

As with Brexit though I'm not sure a lot of people are being realistic about what any of the parties will actually do. Immigration is cited as a key source of dissatisfaction and it's all about 'stop the boats' but so many of the issues people have are actually related to legal migration, or people who have been in this country for quite a while. I'm not sure what they think parties will do about this.

IFS addressed this today, no to wealth taxes but yes to additional taxes on high gain low tax assets.
Basically reform our tax system, to limit the loop holes - though of course that cold be dressed up as a wealth tax, IFS specifically talked about CGT reform.

Which PM has ever written a budget months out its delivery date?

This are different times @Absolutely45 - a financially savvy PM would steady the markets immediately. They cannot do anything if they do not manage the sovereign debt properly. We all know that to be the case. If you have a company on the brink of insolvency, you have to sack people and make tough decisions. They need to manage those in their own party who do not realise what situation we actually find ourselves in.