Prince Philip, visiting Abu Dhabi with the Queen yesterday, is reported to have crustily asked a British expatriate "What are you escaping from?" He then went on to be reluctant to shake the hands of others.
The person concerned was either too taken aback or too polite to give a quick and pithy answer, so just to help His Royal Highness could we suggest that the instant list could have included:"High taxes,the inability to save, buy a house and educate my children, and have a substantially better life". Add to that "UK parochialism,politics,militant trade unions, beaurocracy,obsession with health and safety, political correctness,big brother directives of all sorts, restrictions on working hours and ability to make money and oh yes, its class divisons and social snobbery." That's just an off the top of the head start.
One might also uncharitably observe that didn't the Prince leave the land of his birth rather more permanently than most expats and didn't he do well?
