No kidding! Glad I escaped. Coming back to visit really drive it home how screwed up this country is becoming.

mikemoto: Number two on the list of where they want to go is the United States. Why would anyone want to come to this Godawful nation which doesn't have socialized medicine or a whole host of other goodies?

/sarcasm off, but 90% of American farkers probably agree with that statement

We elect our head of state?

When asked under what circumstances people should be allowed to move to Britain, 50 per cent say people should sometimes be allowed to come here to find work. But 38 per cent said this should never be allowed.

"Let us move to your country, but fark you if you want to move to ours."

FTA:

The cost of living, weather, unemployment and crime are the most common reasons for wanting to quit Britain.

So one of the main reasons people are leaving the UK are something it has no control of...

Australia is top of the relocation wish list followed by the US, Canada and New Zealand.

And the top country they're moving to has about the same cost-of-living (if not higher) than the UK?

The family from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria - who have never claimed benefits - quit in despair at what they see as soft-touch Britain's emphasis on state handouts instead of opportunities.

Dave, 42, said: "I have to do the best for my kids and I feel the opportunities I want for them will not be in the UK."

And of course The Sun had to throw their BS spin into this story (it wasn't even on the list of reasons why people are leaving the UK)...thanks for reminding me why I never take you guys seriously.

The grass is always greener.

Is this a real survey or a British Tabloid survey?

That said, it honestly wouldn't surprise me if it was real. My dad's side of the family is British, and as far as I can tell the national sport is moaning about how horrible they have it.

Gunther: Is this a real survey or a British Tabloid survey?

That said, it honestly wouldn't surprise me if it was real. My dad's side of the family is British, and as far as I can tell the national sport is moaning about how horrible they have it.

Fookin' armadas!

mikemoto: Number two on the list of where they want to go is the United States. Why would anyone want to come to this Godawful nation which doesn't have socialized medicine or a whole host of other goodies?

/sarcasm off, but 90% of American farkers probably agree with that statement

The NHS was one of the things that Britons would miss the most about the UK. So yeah, it is kind of ironic that they'd consider moving to the US if they're going to miss the NHS that much.

From the comments: Still miss it terribly, but I don't miss the Chav's, yobs and constant scroungers.

Some kind of boll weevil?

karl2025: mikemoto: Number two on the list of where they want to go is the United States. Why would anyone want to come to this Godawful nation which doesn't have socialized medicine or a whole host of other goodies?

/sarcasm off, but 90% of American farkers probably agree with that statement

We elect our head of state?

Like in 2000?

Just wait until they get their first $100,000 bill for a one-week hospital stay.

FTA:

I've lived in Spain now for nearly 5 years and have finally come to the conclusion that I don't ever want to go back to the UK to live. Doesn't mean it will never happen, but I've just put my house up for sale in the UK in the belief that it won't.

Isn't this the same country with a 25% unemployment rate?

And you'd pick that over the UK!?!?!

/He must really like the sunshine

karl2025: We elect our head of state?

Of all the reasons to want to leave a country, I doubt the lack of choice over a powerless figurehead ranks very highly.

Wyalt Derp: Many of the same people who want to emigrate think that people shouldn't be allowed to immigrate, and probably don't even realise the logical disconnect & hypocrisy.

Maybe they wouldn't want to emigrate if others weren't allowed to immigrate in such large numbers.

The problem with Great Britain is that they burrow too many political ideas from the US. Because of that, I'd put it near the bottom of my list of places I'd immigrate to if given the choice (at least among first world countries).

DrewCurtisJr: Wyalt Derp: Many of the same people who want to emigrate think that people shouldn't be allowed to immigrate, and probably don't even realise the logical disconnect & hypocrisy.

Maybe they wouldn't want to emigrate if others weren't allowed to immigrate in such large numbers.

And that's why they're moving to Australia and Canada with extremely similar immigration policies...

DrewCurtisJr: Maybe they wouldn't want to emigrate if others weren't allowed to immigrate in such large numbers.

Then why do they want to move to countries with similar or greater rates of immigration?

lots of French people, particularly Parisians, want to move to the US....specificially NYC.

that is, until they realize how screwed up the healthcare system is, how expensive housing is, and how little vacation time Americans get.

Giltric: Thigvald the Big-Balled: When asked under what circumstances people should be allowed to move to Britain, 50 per cent say people should sometimes be allowed to come here to find work. But 38 per cent said this should never be allowed.

"Let us move to your country, but fark you if you want to move to ours."

Theres nothing wrong with wanting to see your countrymen employed first.

From TFA:

The Sun told how hard-working Dave Jones - who earned £38,000-a-year doing night shifts at a paper mill - and Jackie, 43, left the country with their brood last Saturday.
They will be staying with friends until Dave finds a job and a house big enough for them all.

Nothing wrong with seeking opportunity, but this guy's going to be in Australia one of those exact job-stealing foreigners many of those in the article seem to have issues with when they come to the UK. Have job taken by foreigner; become job-stealing foreigner elsewhere.

crab66: The grass is always greener.

...over the septic tank.

FTFY

It's because the Sun is there, and Brits aren't used to seeing it.

/hot, like a ball of fusing hydrogen.

Why? Massive prawns and quality of life

Gwyrddu: Then why do they want to move to countries with similar or greater rates of immigration?

Do they have similar patterns of immigration, same type of immigrants?

DrewCurtisJr: Gwyrddu: Then why do they want to move to countries with similar or greater rates of immigration?

Do they have similar patterns of immigration, same type of immigrants?

Immigrants are always greener on other side

DrewCurtisJr: Gwyrddu: Then why do they want to move to countries with similar or greater rates of immigration?

Do they have similar patterns of immigration, same type of immigrants?

I'm pretty sure most of the immigration in the countries mentioned involve non-white people moving into areas where non-white people are already at (urban areas with lower cost real estate mostly).

DrewCurtisJr: Gwyrddu: Then why do they want to move to countries with similar or greater rates of immigration?

Do they have similar patterns of immigration, same type of immigrants?

Considering that Australia's population consists of 25% immigrants, I'd say so.

Link (new window)

Same type of immigrants? Oh...I think plenty of those immigrants in Australia aren't white if that's what you mean.

My admittedly anecdotal two cents (my in-laws are British and seem to always be trying desperately to escape the country temporarily or permanently).

1. The main reason they want to leave, hands-down, is the weather even if they don't always realize this themselves. They ALL want to move to Spain, the south of France, Italy or Florida (when they say the USA, they don't mean Wisconsin). That right there is telling. I think people who don't live there don't really understand just how oppressive the weather actually is. It never really gets warm in most of the country and it rains constantly.

2. The British love to whine and constantly think their country is going to hell in a handbasket. I'm not sure where this originates, but it is reinforced in a vicious cycle by the tabloids and other news sources that focus on the welfare cheats, chavs, yobs, asylum seekers and pedophiles. Every time I visit, my in-laws subject my wife and me to a constant discussion of whatever the outrage du jour is. Some kid got stabbed in a bar in London? Well, clearly there is an epidemic of knife crime in the UK which will lead to everyone murdered! In reality, the people I know in the UK live very good day-to-day lives and rarely run into any real problems, but they all seem to think that they're constantly in mortal danger and/or being oppressed by their government's bureaucracy (which they rarely actually deal with).

So, my considered opinion is that, if asked, most Britons will tell you they're leaving because their country is going to shiat (which it isn't) but the real reason is the weather.

DrewCurtisJr: Gwyrddu: Then why do they want to move to countries with similar or greater rates of immigration?

Do they have similar patterns of immigration, same type of immigrants?

I'd rather have the mow-your-yard-and-make-you-a-breakfast-taco illegal immigrants we have than sharia-law-set fire-to-your-car legal immigrants that Europe has.

eiger: In reality, the people I know in the UK live very good day-to-day lives and rarely run into any real problems, but they all seem to think that they're constantly in mortal danger and/or being oppressed by their government's bureaucracy (which they rarely actually deal with).

I think we can blame the tabloids for that. Sure doesn't help that they're the most read publications in the UK.

dumbobruni: lots of French people, particularly Parisians, want to move to the US....specificially NYC.

that is, until they realize how screwed up the healthcare system is, how expensive housing is, and how little vacation time Americans get.

If you have the skills and means as a European to get a green card to the US, you can probably get a descent place to live and have better health insurance than what the rabble gets in France.

fillahbuster: If you have the skills and means as a European to get a green card to the US, you can probably get a descent place to live and have better health insurance than what the rabble gets in France.

Considering that the US has a green card lottery system, I'm not seeing how much skill is involved in getting a green card.

Mrtraveler01: Oh...I think plenty of those immigrants in Australia aren't white if that's what you mean.

No that's not what I mean. What types of immigrants you are getting can vary a lot from country to country. How many well educated, upper middle class professionals, vs. poorly educated impoverished people.

fillahbuster: dumbobruni: lots of French people, particularly Parisians, want to move to the US....specificially NYC.

that is, until they realize how screwed up the healthcare system is, how expensive housing is, and how little vacation time Americans get.

If you have the skills and means as a European to get a green card to the US, you can probably get a descent place to live and have better health insurance than what the rabble gets in France.

bullshiat.

the only health insurance in the US that is better than what the French get is the GHI plan for public school teachers in NY. No out of pocket expenses beyond a low deductible for anything....and I mean anything.

my last insurance plan in the US was close to $300 a month just for me, and didn't cover ANY perscription drugs, including chemotherapy! and I worked for one of the biggest investment banks in the entire world.

DrewCurtisJr: Mrtraveler01: Oh...I think plenty of those immigrants in Australia aren't white if that's what you mean.

No that's not what I mean. What types of immigrants you are getting can vary a lot from country to country. How many well educated, upper middle class professionals, vs. poorly educated impoverished people.

I don't know the distribution but I do know it's a mix between Europeans and Asians who came to Australia on a boat.

So it can't be that drastically different I imagine.

DrewCurtisJr: No that's not what I mean. What types of immigrants you are getting can vary a lot from country to country. How many well educated, upper middle class professionals, vs. poorly educated impoverished people.

Not that many well educated professionals emigrate from their homes. Professional credentials don't transfer very well from country to country, and there is less impetus to leave home when you have enough wealth to be comfortable in your home country. Even in the US where a lot of foreigners come here to study at, most of these soon to be professionals go back home when they are done with their studies, leaving the US mostly with poorly educated impoverished immigrants.

eiger: The main reason they want to leave, hands-down, is the weather even if they don't always realize this themselves. They ALL want to move to Spain, the south of France, Italy or Florida (when they say the USA, they don't mean Wisconsin). That right there is telling. I think people who don't live there don't really understand just how oppressive the weather actually is. It never really gets warm in most of the country and it rains constantly.

This is why I'm always amused whenever I meet a Brit living here in Seattle.

No! stay in your own country. I've backpacked around the world a lot and brits are consistently the worse, most arrogant, dbs I run into. They think they're entitled to be wherever they happen to infest and anyone else who shows up is ruining the place.

mikemoto: Number two on the list of where they want to go is the United States. Why would anyone want to come to this Godawful nation which doesn't have socialized medicine or a whole host of other goodies?

/sarcasm off, but 90% of American farkers probably agree with that statement

but they have entitlements and medicine. It is paradise! Just like it is in Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, and Italy.

Giltric: Thigvald the Big-Balled: When asked under what circumstances people should be allowed to move to Britain, 50 per cent say people should sometimes be allowed to come here to find work. But 38 per cent said this should never be allowed.

"Let us move to your country, but fark you if you want to move to ours."

Theres nothing wrong with wanting to see your countrymen employed first.

There is if you're American. The left say you're racist.

Wyalt Derp: Many of the same people who want to emigrate think that people shouldn't be allowed to immigrate, and probably don't even realise the logical disconnect & hypocrisy.

The Mexicans are guilty of that. Look how they treat their illegals. Canada too. Many of them come down to the States, but if you're brown and not a billionaire, you can't come up there.

wait til they come to the states and try to get health insurance. they'll go back.

Forgot_my_password_again: No! stay in your own country. I've backpacked around the world a lot and brits are consistently the worse, most arrogant, dbs I run into. They think they're entitled to be wherever they happen to infest and anyone else who shows up is ruining the place.

Brits on vacation are... unpleasant. Which is odd b/c in their own country they tend to be pretty ok.

Gwyrddu: Not that many well educated professionals emigrate from their homes. Professional credentials don't transfer very well from country to country, and there is less impetus to leave home when you have enough wealth to be comfortable in your home country.

Just because you are well educated doesn't mean the job opportunities in your home country are that great.

Even in the US where a lot of foreigners come here to study at, most of these soon to be professionals go back home when they are done with their studies, leaving the US mostly with poorly educated impoverished immigrants.

A lot of them leave because we won't let them stay, not because they prefer to be in their home country.