Latest news with #Blighty
The Sun
7 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Is it any wonder legions of wealthy Brits are leaving – the country is in bleak place under hostile Labour
SO it is goodbye Blighty from me, as I join the legions of Brits leaving these shores. I'm not going because of over-regulation, crippling taxes and a hostile environment to entrepreneurship, but tens of thousands are. 3 Yet there is no denying that during my year writing this Monday column, things have become a lot bleaker for our country — once a shining beacon on the hill for investors and wealth creators. These were successful Brits who paid billions into our coffers but will now prop up public services and state spending elsewhere. They are fleeing a government that has already punished employers and workers alike with the heaviest tax burden in peacetime history, and is now cooking up more years of stealth taxes on income as well as the doomed leftist fantasy of a wealth tax. Is anyone surprised that top earners are scarpering for the Gulf, America or Switzerland? While I will be keeping a beady eye on what's going on here from across the Pond in Trump-land (and keeping you updated in The Sun's pages, too) others who are leaving won't be looking back. Brain drain According to consultants Henley & Partners, who admittedly have a stake in helping well-off business folk relocate, the UK is projected to lose 16,500 millionaires in 2025, which, it says, is double what had been expected. That's one world-beating title we still have, with the UK firmly at the bottom of the global millionaire loser league. We are miles behind even communist China, who are second bottom with a projected 7,800 millionaires taking flight. But it's not just the faceless, nationless super-rich fleeing — many of them have already fled Labour — but aspirational British citizens who are turning their backs on the place they once called home. And it's not just millionaires, either. PM vows to drastically increase the numbers of channel migrants sent back to France As many as 40,000 Brits moved to Dubai last year, with around a quarter of a million expats earning their keep there rather than in our cities. Call it a Taxodus, or a brain drain, or whatever, but there is no logical argument to importing a thousand illegal migrants a week to prop up the black market while watching our best and brightest leave. Or you could just sneer like many Labour MPs seem to, muttering good riddance. But they won't be so cocky when Chancellor Rachel Reeves has to fill the Budget black hole this autumn. The top ten per cent of income tax payers contribute more than 60 per cent of all income tax receipts. The top one per cent pay 29.6 per cent of all income taxes, despite earning just 12.9 per cent of the income. Those with the broadest shoulders are already carrying the biggest load. And yet the drumbeat to hit them even harder to fund unsustainable benefits and healthcare spending is already deafening. But where do you think that money is going to come from if you do not try to lure them to stay and pay instead? Yep, the pain will have to fall on those that DO NOT have the broadest shoulders and on yet more borrowing — cruelly hampering the yet-to-be-born future generations. And on that note it's not just the physical abandonment of Britain that should bring on a fresh bout of tears for the Chancellor. Our £2TRILLION debt mountain is only growing, and getting more expensive to service. Long-term borrowing costs are now consistently higher than during the Liz Truss disaster, but you don't hear the BBC screaming day in day out this time round. The UK was once seen as a safe haven for long-term investment, safe as houses and trustworthy. 'Buying in Britain was like buying in gold,' one banker said to me recently. 'It was a safe option when everything else goes a little crazy.' But now the rug has been pulled, with a government unable to get even the slightest decrease in the rate of public spending through Parliament, let alone a significant cut. And a political class totally lacking in the will, know-how or cojones to be honest with voters about what needs to be done. We have a PM who stood on the steps of Downing Street last year and promised he would be honest and his Government would 'tread more lightly' on its citizens. Yet now, 12 months later, he is too weak to stand up to his own Deputy Prime Minister, who along with Labour's union paymasters, is creating more bureaucracy and red tape for anyone actually trying to employ someone in Britain. Lower wages And who is it going to hurt? Yep, regular workers. A shocking report this week from the Institute of Economic Affairs says business faces a £5billion bill for Angela Rayner's Employment Bill, which will be passed on through lower wages, which have already stagnated for nearly two decades. I was going to try to write something a bit more positive about Britain as my last Monday offering, but now — running out of words — I realise what a struggle that would have been. Of course we are still a great country. We are not yet going cap in hand to the IMF like Labour in the 1970s, and there is still time to turn things around. We've been in tighter spots, we have been more broke — though only when winning two world wars. But recoveries have only happened when there has been leadership and honesty. When vested interests and the unions were stared down rather than given more power. When taxes were cut, and spending brought to heel — despite the screaming, shouting and protests. A time when backbenchers were not caving in at the first whiff of cordite. Business rates can be cut, Brexit exploited, madcap red tape attacks can be ditched, virtue-signalling Net Zero targets can be put in the reality check bin. But only when our politicians wake up. NOT allowing Donald Trump the chance to address Parliament when he visits in September is simple political cowardice. Especially after the red carpet was rolled out for Emmanuel Macron to lecture and hector Britain on Brexit last week during his own state visit. 3 This is the twice democratically elected leader of the free world and President of our closest ally. Caving over fears that hard-Left Labour and anti- Israel Independent MPs could protest or shun the speech is the height of pathetic. And says so much about who is pulling the Government's strings these days.
Mint
11-07-2025
- Mint
Why Britain's police forces have taken to cultivating cannabis
'All we care about is having the best-quality evidence," says Detective Chief Inspector Ian Hughes, sitting in a poky office with a smile on his face. He is explaining why Essex Police has invested thousands of pounds in the past three years in cultivating cannabis. Given the success of Mr Hughes's little operation, other forces may soon follow. To grasp what he is up to, you need to know about the Proceeds of Crime Act of 2002. That law, known to British coppers as POCA, enables police forces to confiscate assets bought with illegal profits, such as houses or cars, and keep up to half of the money for themselves. In court, proving ill-gottenness is hard. But when it comes to drug seizures, forces can take the street value of their haul from a dealer's other assets—to deter future misdeeds. Authorities have become pukka at using POCA. Many now have specialist teams. Police wires light up with news of spectacular catches: gold watches, Ferraris, Surrey mansions. Over the past six years police forces have recovered around £300m ($400m) a year from criminals in this way. The money goes back into fighting crime, or funds community projects. There was a hiccup, though. When the police bust a cannabis farm, they often seize plants that have yet to fully mature. That means the crop is still wet, weighs more and doesn't contain the concentrated THC that gets smokers high. Dealers with good lawyers were able to argue successfully against confiscation orders, claiming that plants were 'mouldy", and therefore worthless, or that the yield had been estimated inaccurately. This is where Mr Hughes's scheme comes in. When Essex Police busts a weed farm, it now nurtures and dries the plants it keeps for evidence, in a 'bespoke facility". A team of six officers have learned to do it 'just as well as the criminals", says Mr Hughes, ensuring they harvest as much as the dealers would have. It's a busy job: the team deals with around 1,000 busts each year. Last month a Colchester drug dealer was ordered to pay £53,000 or face prison. Essex Police is not alone. Several other large forces are rumoured to be tending the herb. One is using a converted shipping container. Essex has adapted a portakabin with climate and temperature controls. The public can celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurialism or bemoan clumsy laws that divert the police into pointless pot-cultivation. Or, perhaps, do both. Asked for a tour, Mr Hughes demurs, though he does say the facility and incinerator are located securely, next to an armed police unit, lest anyone get ideas. Connoisseurs might lament all that lovely crop going up in smoke. For Mr Hughes, however, the whole scheme gives quite a high. For more expert analysis of the biggest stories in Britain, sign up to Blighty, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter.
Metro
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
14 things Brits living in the US miss most about the UK
Caroline Westbrook Published June 19, 2025 10:32am Link is copied Comments There's many things we're known for in the UK, from our Royal Family and our iconic tourist attractions through to food and drink which only the British could possibly take to their hearts. Which means that those citizens who might have upped sticks and moved across the pond are bound to miss certain aspects of British culture - particularly food items and other things which aren't going to be quite the same in the US. But just what do British people living in America miss most about Blighty? Read on to find out more... (Picture: Getty Images) It might be one of those things you either love or hate but Marmite remains ridiculously popular among Brits in the US - actor Bill Nighy has even shared stories of being stopped at Heathrow border control for trying to leave the country with a jar in his luggage. While it may have a low profile there, and be hard to find outside of specialist food shops, a recent tongue-in-cheek ad campaign by adam&eveDDB has been calling out for 'Marmite smugglers' to try and get a jar through border control - while a flyposting campaign in New York is aiming to introduce locals to its yeasty goodness. So perhaps it could take off after all (Picture: Getty Images) Whenever this question comes up, this always seems to feature high on the list of things which just aren't the same on the other side of the Atlantic. Jeremy Davis of YouTube duo Magic Geekdom said of the pub: '[In the UK] people socialise and hang out and eat food - you can meet some really cool people. I feel that's not what happens in the U.S. [Here] it doesn't have the same feeling of friendliness' (Picture: Getty Images/Mint Images RF) Here's one which expats are always bringing up - according to them the humble crumpet is very hard to come by in the US, unless you can find yourself a supermarket stocking British treats, or make them yourself. On Reddit, one person commented: 'I found them in the freezer of British shop. Didn't think to look there. You would have thought I won the lottery the way I was jumping around screaming' (Picture: Getty Images) This is one which seems to strike a chord with expats, who have said that US bacon doesn't taste half as good as the stuff you get in the UK. 'It's all streaky in US, no back bacon,' one person commented on Reddit. The difference in taste may be down to the way it's made though, as explained by a Quora user: 'American bacon is typically made from pork belly and is cured and smoked. It is known for its crispy texture and salty flavor. On the other hand, British bacon is often made from pork loin and is typically less fatty than American bacon.' So now you know why your bacon sandwich doesn't taste nearly the same across the pond (Picture: Getty Images) Is there anything better than having butter oozing from your freshly toasted slice of sourdough? Not according to Brits living in the US, who reckon the butter there just isn't as good as it is back home. Martha Stewart reveals on her website the differences are down to the manufacturing process - while American butter has to contain only a minimum of 80% butterfat, European butter has between 82 and 85%, which makes all the difference. It is possible to get European butter though, with people flocking to a YouTube video by Those Two Brits where they discussed US butter being 'white' rather than yellow. 'Butter that's white tends to come from grain fed cows which is most of America, yellow butter is the old school grass fed cows, but because all milk has to be pasteurized here no matter what all the yellow tends to come out anyway leaving the white,' one person explained (Picture: Getty Images) While we're at it, many Brits living in the US have said they miss British bread - hinting that a decent loaf you can use to make sandwiches or toast isn't nearly so easy to come by. A Reddit user commented: 'I find most of the bread here is sweetish which I don't like. I look for Italian or French to get around that but it's always tiny slices. I still miss the bread from home.' Another added: 'There is good bread but you normally have to find specialised bakers' (Picture: Getty Images) In the UK we might be accustomed to hopping on the bus, taking the Tube or just walking to the local high street or wherever we want to go - but with many places in the US only accessible by car, expats are quick to admit they miss it. One Reddit user admitted they missed 'it being normal to walk about', while a second added: 'Much of the US is definitely not designed with pedestrians in mind. All of which would seem to fit in with 2023 research from Virginia Tech and Rutgers University, which found that just 12% of all trips in the US are walked (Picture: Getty Images) Here's one people definitely felt when they moved to the US - that sense of humour which is so unique to Brits. One said on Reddit: 'It sounds like something so stupid and minor, but it really, really got to me,' while a second added: 'They don't really do humour/banter in the same way. Irony, wit, satire, sarcasm, under/overstatement etc are quite lost on them. They often take what's being said at face value' (Picture: Getty Images) Cadbury's Dairy Milk is of course one of Britain's greatest treasures - but Brits living in the US have admitted good chocolate is hard to find there, and that the local equivalent just doesn't compare. 'The first time I really missed something about the UK was at college here,' one said on Reddit. 'I'd had a long week, just got out of a long class and all I wanted was a bar of chocolate from the vending machine. I'd let my guard down and forgot where I was. The instant I realized there would be no proper Cadburys chocolate in there I was absolutely crestfallen' (Picture: Getty Images) Us Brits tend to be spoiled when it comes to holidays from work, with many of us getting five weeks leave per year or in some cases, more. But it's a different story for those of us working in the US - of course, we get time off but not nearly as much. 'I miss having TIME OFF,' commented one Redditor. 'It's a foreign concept here. I've only just started a full time job after being a student here so I'm just starting to feel the effects of having no annual leave - God help me' (Picture: Getty Images) If you're a British person living in the US it's inevitable you're going to miss tea - given the enormous part popping the kettle on for a cuppa plays in our culture. While you can get tea in the US of course it tends to be served without milk - with the Tea Association of America saying that in 2021 around 84% of all tea consumed was black tea, 15% was green Tea and the remainder was other types such as Oolong and white tea. Whether or not any of it was your bog standard PG Tips with a splash of semi-skimmed remains to be seen (Picture: Getty Images) If you're a fan of a decent strong Cheddar you might struggle if you live in the US, where Brits have complained the cheese is orange, soft and not nearly as good as the stuff you get on these shores. 'I missed real cheese,' complained one, 'had to pay $10+ for the little block of cheddar that's a couple of quid here' (Credits: Getty Images/500px) Having a baby? If you're in the UK you can look forward to several months of maternity leave to bond with your new arrival - which can vary depending on where you work and what they offer. In the US though, it's a different story, and one which hasn't escaped the notice of Brits living there. 'When I tell Americans I get 12 weeks they exclaim how lucky I am,' one said. 'I then tell them that in the UK I would have got 9 months, including time off before the baby to get ready. Here I was in labour at work, finished my shift and gave birth the following morning' (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Finally, we're guessing that those of you living in the US might miss some of the chains we have in the UK - with the likes of M&S, Waitrose and Tesco all mentioned by expats chatting online. However one favourite which seems to come up quite regularly is Greggs - as it's one place which has yet to make it across the pond and Brits are definitely missing the chance to pop into their local branch for a steak bake. One said they miss 'Greggs, curry, Greggs, biscuits, Greggs, Mum and Dad's Sunday lunch, Greggs, cheese that isn't Kraft or super expensive, Greggs, scotch eggs, Greggs, the meal deal boxes where you could build your own curry or Chinese, Greggs, prawn crackers, full English breakfast, and Greggs.' Yep, we get the point... (Picture: Getty Images) This article was originally published in May 2024
Daily Mirror
18-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Brits heading to Spain warned they could face £2,500 for beach 'error'
Spain has introduced a number of new regulations for tourists this summer, with fines of up to £2,500 for those who make 'one drinking error' Brits jetting off to Spain could be hit with hefty fines of up to £2,500 if they fall foul of the country's strict drinking laws this summer. As the holiday season approaches, travel experts are warning UK sunseekers to brush up on Spanish regulations or face penalties. Organising "unauthorised gatherings" could see Brits forking out as much as €750 for blasting tunes too loudly. In places like Valencia, setting up unapproved tents or shelters might land you a fine ranging from €1,501 to €3,000. Spain's beaches are increasingly becoming smoke-free areas, with lighting up potentially costing you up to €450 in fines, while sipping a drink on the sands or promenade could set you back between €1,501 and €3,000. The Spanish authorities have tightened the rules on public alcohol consumption, banning it on streets, parks, and beaches, reports the Express. Caught with a tipple in public? You could be coughing up to €3,000. Majorcan hotspots such as Llucmajor, Palma, and Magaluf have even curtailed alcohol sales from 9:30pm to 8am and clamped down on happy hour promotions. For those who throw loud parties without permission, a €750 fine awaits, and Valencia's crackdown includes hefty charges of up to €3,000 for unsanctioned tent pitching. Many beaches have now become smoke-free zones, with a fag potentially costing you up to €450 in fines, and penalties for boozing on the beach or promenade ranging from €1,501 to €3,000. Spain has also put a cap on daily visitors at certain beaches in the Balearic and Canary Islands. Platja d'Aro, in Costa Brava, has announced fines up to €1,500 for appearing in public "with clothing representing human genitals" in a crackdown on stag and hen dos from Blighty. The bylaw specifically bans people from appearing "on the public thoroughfare without clothing or only in their underwear or with clothing or accessories representing human genitals or with dolls or other accessories of a sexual nature". There's also new information required for those wanting to book digs or hire motors. Information gathered by hotel owners, private rental providers and car hire companies will now be passed on to the Spanish Ministry of Interior to bolster the country's national security. Visitors will now have to provide their: Gender Nationality Date of birth Home address Landline phone number Mobile phone number Payment details and method Relationship to any children in the travelling party under the age of 14. Chris Harrington, Managing Director at travel experts hoppa, said: 'Spain is introducing a wave of new travel regulations in 2025, following record-breaking visitor numbers. These new regulations have been put in place to manage mass tourism and public behaviour, and are extremely important to follow.' "Failure to comply with new regulations can lead to holidaymakers being slapped with hundreds of euros, with more serious offences potentially incurring fines between €1,500 and €3,000. "To help holiday makers enjoy their jolly without facing any unwanted charges, we've compiled a list of the 4 regulations you should be aware of." Chris added: "Spain is an incredibly popular tourist destination for British holidaymakers. But it's more important than ever to be mindful and respectful when holidaying. "By travelling with awareness of the local culture and regulations, you can contribute to a positive travel experience for yourself and others. Before travelling, it is a good idea to check the Spanish tourism board and ensure that you are abiding by the rules of the municipality you are visiting."
ABC News
13-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Big Brother Movement that brought 15,000 boys to Australia marks a century
Identical twins Alistair and Alex Macdonald were just 16 when they arrived at an isolated farm in southern New South Wales in 1955, a world away from the grey streets of Edinburgh. They had left Scotland for Australia as part of the Big Brother Movement, a government-backed scheme aimed to help populate and develop a young Australian nation. "When we were uncouth youth looking for our future," Alex laughed. Between 1925 and 1982, in one of the biggest immigration schemes in the nation's history, 15,000 boys — some as young as 14 — came to Australia from the United Kingdom. Eager for adventure and opportunity, they all migrated voluntarily. Known as Little Brothers, they were in the care of adult supervisors, or Big Brothers. Many, like the Macdonald brothers, dreamed of becoming farmers. Earlier this year the twins, now 86, returned to the farm at Blighty where 70 years ago their hopes of a better life in Australia first took shape. But life back then was tough. "Work, work, work, all the time, but that was how it was," Alistair recalled, stepping carefully across a paddock strewn with broken concrete and rusted relics. Their stories echo the experience of many boys whose lives were changed by the Big Brother Movement. Known now as BBM, the organisation is celebrating its centenary this year with reunions in most states of Australia. The thinning ranks of men once known as Little Brothers have been gathering to reminisce. "It's lovely to honour the old men now. Just to see their faces and for them to connect with other people. Some people haven't seen each other for years," BBM CEO Suellen McCaffrey said. The NSW reunion was held at Calmsley Hill, near Parramatta, the former training farm where new arrivals had a basic course in farming before being assigned to rural properties. Among those in attendance was 93-year-old Jim Reardon, who arrived from Liverpool in 1949. He recalled the initial years as "torrid". "I used to live in little tin hut, hot in the summer, freezing in the winter. Cutting down trees, it was hard graft," Mr Reardon said. By the late 1950s, new Big Brother arrivals had shifted. They were typically older, in their 20s, and seeking city work rather than farming. The sponsorship scheme ended following changes to the migration rules in 1983. Australian immigration policy became more multicultural and the scheme was seen to favour only Britons. The training farm in western Sydney was sold, and the proceeds reinvested, and the organisation evolved into BBM Youth Support. It sponsors young Australians to travel overseas to further their careers, many focused on rural development. The Big Brother scheme had a profound role in the development of the Australian nation. The organisation estimates there are now almost 100,000 descendants of the Little Brothers. "The Big Brother Movement allowed my father and my family so many opportunities. We are the Australian story," said Nick Bleasdale, who attended the Sydney reunion. "My father [who] passed away not long ago, ended up as the mayor of Blacktown. He would always tell me my whole life he was a Little Brother and for that as a family we are forever grateful." As are the Macdonalds. Their three siblings and parents followed them, migrating to Australia to live out the rest of their lives. "We're lucky, aren't we? We're in the lucky country, so Aussie has been pretty lucky to us," added Alex. Watch ABC TV's Landline at 12:30pm AEST on Sunday or stream anytime on ABC iview.
