Do you know people who will emigrate if labour win?

[groyard]

This is making me all very stressed. Trying not to freak myself out over future socio-economic ramifications for the UK if there is a wider trend of “brain drain”.

Brother and BIL have both said that if Labour win they will be emigrating with their wives and children.

I’ve heard similar sentiment from others but assume (hope) this is hyperbole.

Just to say, none of the people mentioned are wealthy but just about comfortable. Both highly skilled and in demand internationally.

I don't know any.

At least Phil Collins kept his word in 1997, others who said they would leave did not.

Not a single person, and I work with lots of very educated, high earners. In fact, a large number of them have openly said they’ll be voting Labour.

If Labour do get in, I hope they introduce an exit tax like the USA, Australia, Canada, Spain, etc. At least we'd see benefit from that wealth. They won't though, especially since they're increasingly relying on large donations.

As for a 'brain drain' we've already experienced the most significant one in my lifetime because of the woeful handling of Brexit. We can't attract or retain world leading researchers outside of European funding streams with restrictions on movement and students.

Not a single one. And most of our friends work in law, banking, insurance in the City are senior in national companies. In fact, a surprising number of them seem inclined to vote labour this time round.

I do know people who emigrated following Brexit. And plenty of people who have taken up temporary opportunities in Asia, Europe or the United States. But emigrating, especially once you’re established in a career and have a family is nowhere near as easy as it seems. And if you are only doing so for financial reasons, leaving extended family, a culture you know and a home you love is a huge sacrifice. And you may end up somewhere pretty uninspiring like Saudi Arabia or Texas.

Could anyone ever do a worse job than the current government?! If you were going to emigrate, should have gone immediately after Brexit.

This is exactly my experience.

More concerning, are friends who are doctors or who have kids now in medical school talking about leaving for Canada, Australia or the United States because of the woeful state of our health service.

People said the exact thing in 1997. Same as it ever was…

The only one I know of is Katie Hopkins who said she'd leave if they won. There's an incentive to vote Labour if ever I saw one.

I think Rishi might be re-applying for his green card. He's probably got the forms on his desk as we speak. But under the past 14 years of Conservative government people who work for a living have been taxed more and more in order to give tax breaks to the very wealthy. If anyone's going to flee the country I suspect it's going to be the people who contribute nothing.

The vast majority of British people who emigrate to the middle east because they quite fancy not paying taxes come back within a couple of years. It turns out being slightly richer isn't all that when it means you have to live in a repressive state where women aren't really considered people.

Yes. It’s started already of course. The ME has a lot of skilled jobs going at the moment, and for many years to come. As does Australia.

I know several people / families who have already moved.

Not heard of anyone saying they want to emigrate.

Do you BiL or brother's collective wives and children get say in this emigration business?

I was chatting to a visiting doctor to our clinic ( in Aus) who was considering moving as he had no work life balance he felt his health was suffering.

It's very telling that the only campaign strategy the Tories have is Project Fear, and it's not working because we've all been living in the mess they have engineered for the past 14 years. No one is buying their desperate attempts to pretend things would get any more desperate and chaotic under Labour.

Can you explain why your brother and BIL will be such a loss to the UK if they go?

‘It turns out being slightly richer isn't all that when it means you have to live in a repressive state where women aren't really considered people.’

You do realise that Labour don’t recognise women at all don’t you?

We lived in the ME for many years. Loved it. Felt safer there than I ever do here. Ironic really.

No, but I will look much closer at the options for DS studying overseas.

VAT on University fees here would make studying abroad much more appealing and less expensive.

Exactly. Let them go, doesn't sound like much of a loss.

I hope they do. The less Tory voters in this country the better.

Even though they can now vote from abroad.

But people as dim as that add nothing to the country.

Good for him but with respect this does not constitute my idea of ‘brain drain’.

Business types are usually easily replaceable

I understand it’s difficult when families move away but that’s a different thing, OP

My friend and her husband bought a house in Spain last year as they don't want to live in the UK if Labour get in. Top 1% earner.

VAT on public uni fees is really not on the table! Almost all UK universities are public

I come at this from a different angle maybe - because when I was growing up my Dad "did a stint in the Middle East" and, despite all the lovely tax advantages, was pretty bloody keen to get back again as soon as he could! His family (us!) came back even sooner because doing a stint in the Middle East was not enjoyable at all - especially for girls.

Later in my own career I "did a stint" in India - for which there was a very lucrative package available. I made some money and immediately came back and bought a house.

I don't think doing a stink anywhere is really brain drain only any real scale. If anything, it results in bringing the same skills back plus the extra you picked up while working away.

Nothing like waiting to see what actually happens….

No but I know some very bright and highly qualified Ukrainians looking for work here. It works both ways.

No. But I know loads of doctors who left over pay and conditions under the Tories.