24th January 2010

English expats are revolting! Well, in one sense anyway.
It all hinges on whether all those National Insurance contributions we paid during our working life in the UK were for us personally in our later lives, or for the retirees back then. I know what you're thinking: it's those baby-boomers complaining again. But it's a fundamental issue really. Don't get me wrong. I understand completely that income tax should provide for everyone at the time: for police services, hospitals, fire stations, parks, amenities etc. But National Insurance contributions are something different.
What's happening at the moment is that the UK government are picking and choosing what expats may claim for: essentially just the pension. We can't claim for any benefits at all, not even disability benefit or income support for the poor, unlike our fellow-retirees still living in the UK. And, most expats living outside the EU don't even get annual increases on their pension either.
But, what a surprise. There must be a general election looming: one in which maybe, just maybe, there might be a 'hung parliament'. In other words, they want our votes. Yes, even we expats who before have been treated like discarded old rubbish.
So, now is the time to be revolting! Man the barricades, drag out Mme Guillotine, we expats are on the march. Allons enfants de la patrie. We want what we are entitled to. Call me Dave: are you listening?