Brits Abroad

Taxed out of Britain?

According to a poll conducted by the Taxpayer's Alliance, one in five of those surveyed would leave the UK because they are annoyed with the lack of tax cuts from the government. The Sunday Times article also writes that those surveyed are disillusioned with the political parties, and this has also come through during some of the research for the project.

But during our focus groups it was also clear that the story was less about leaving the UK to escape high tax (which is moderate compared to other countries in Europe). As Max Hastings argues in his piece in the Guardian, there has to be an attractive 'pull' factor that is specific to the destination.

Interesting questions do arise about political apathy and representation. Do people take up their right to vote for UK parties abroad? Do they even vote in local elections of their new country of residence? From our work, it appears that the answer is often 'no'. What more could/should be done to prevent 'an unacceptable further erosion of democracy and human rights' as Jeremy Millard puts it in his comment?

One and a half million Brits will emigrate for work each year by 2020

According to the Centre for Future Studies, six times as many Brits will leave the UK to work abroad each year by 2020 than they do today. The report, which can be accessed here, also suggests that the profile of Brits moving abroad for work will become more heterogeneous. Younger employees will be encouraged to seek career-boosting international experiences and if the UK's ageing population is required to work longer, this could manifest itself in part-time forms of work overseas that bridges employment and retirement.

Other governments' actions to attract skilled migrant labour and the need for international companies to have both local and global knowledge will undoubtedly support the rising trend of Britons working overseas. There is a need then, to consider migration flows that might accompany this pattern. It is important to explore the implications for the movement of workers' dependents, particularly if, as the report suggests, employment abroad will become more temporary in nature and towards unfamiliar territories such as China.