I’m hoping that general things in both countries… can find a gentle level asap.
Actually I’d rather pay taxes, be able to contribute, and have a say in how my community is run and a tiny say in decisions affecting the country I live in and intend to stay in via a vote.
Even when it wasn’t required as neither of us was then resident, we paid the taxe d’habitation in the early years on the property here because it wasn’t monstrous, we could afford it and we felt it was right to contribute, we think others did too. Depends on the sums involved of course.
No, taxation is based on legal agreements between the nations. I, for one, will continue to be taxed in the UK and I think the saying is " no taxation without representation". In any event, my children are still in the UK so I continue to have skin in the game as far as I’m concerned.
That just how little you know on this subject.
Who? Me? Do explain.
Just a general muttering…
I think it’s worth remembering that for many of us… we came to France long ago, knowing and accepting the free-and-easy Rules of the Game as imposed by UK.
At that time, life between the two countries flowed gently and in friendly fashion…
One was not deserting the land of one’s birth… one was expanding one’s horizons.
However, without allowing ALL their Nationals the opportunity for any say in the matter…
the UK Govt suddenly decided to move the goalposts…
Not only that, they changed the Rules of the Game !!!
That’s Bullying… certainly a Foul… and the UK Govt should have been given the Red Card for such behaviour.
anyway… Happy Sunday… to one and all…
Your comment Stella, about coming to France long ago shows a major flaw in the proposal for us to be able to vote again. Our votes will be in the last electoral area in which we resided. I have not had an address in the UK since 1995, I have no clue what the issues might or might not be in the constituency where I last lived and I doubt any MP there would have any interest in my concerns. As has been noted in an earlier post, unless there is a dedicated MP for expats the proposal is meaningless.
I agree, it’s about successful integration into a community and for me there’s an anomaly in the French government’s purported desire for integration and the obstacles they place in its way.
I’ve said all I am going to on this subject.
Since you seem to have accused me of ignorance then that’s quite a cop out.
Hopefully you’ve simply clicked on the wrong reply button and you meant to attribute it elsewhere.
Edited to add: I actually had to scroll back to find your contribution to this thread, and my comment doesn’t look that far from what you said so I’m quite confused about where you’re coming from.
Thanks. I do seem to be unduly exercised by it but I’m sure I’ll get over it
If I get UK vote, I will do what I have always done… vote for the person who will best serve/represent the people…
and I am well aware of what is going on in my old constituency.
Well, that kind of depends on the local political landscape of your old constituency.
You may have the luxury of that choice but, sadly, the only way my vote will count for anything is by voting tactically for the candidate with the best chance of toppling the incumbent Tory.
That vote will not represent my true political colour but I understand that in the world of a FPTP voting system there is no point in throwing my vote away on a candidate that has zero chance of winning in that particular constituency.
Unfortunately the local minority parties simply refuse to understand that until there is proper voting reform they should vote tactically &, ideally, not even stand.
This does not affect me personally, as I have German nationality and a German pension and can still vote in Germany for 25 years after emigrating, but I don’t think it’s right that an adult should not be allowed to vote in a national election anywhere at all, as a lot of you aren’t. There must be some process of deciding, or opting for, in which country one is allowed to vote. Complete disenfranchisement should not be an option.
Coming back to this, since it’s all over the news this week, I was quite surprised that less than 4% of estates actually pay any inheritance tax and none is payable when a spouse inherits.
The threshold rises to £500k when leaving to your children and can rise to as much as £1 million for a couple.
In short, no one is being left penniless by inheritance tax, though it’s notable that a certain family in Downing Street would benefit enormously if it were scrapped. Though I have no doubt that they have taken measures to avoid it anyway.