General Chat

The people of the Falkland Islands have voted overwhelmingly to stay on the islands despite being accused by the UK government of breaking under-occupancy rules brought in as part of the coalition’s controversial new bedroom tax regulations.

Despite near zero temperatures and flurries of snow and rain, all but three people voted yes to the question posed on the ballots: “Do you wish to remain on the Falkland Islands and be forced to take in dodgy lodgers or would you prefer to move to somewhere smaller like the Isle of Man?”

However, UK Prime Minister David Cameron defended the plan, which he says will create a level playing field between under-occupied islands such as the Falklands and other more crowded UK islands such as Gibraltar, Jersey and the Isle of Wight. In a statement, he said:

“
All the time Labour was in government, absolutely nothing was done to address the problem of thousands of people being subsidised by the taxpayer to live on sparsely-populated islands like the Falklands.

This government aims to solve the issue of under-occupancy – by making sure nobody lives on an island which is bigger than their needs.”
:-D :-D :-D

This is not April the 1st is it ?

Cameron has written to Her Majesty. She will be expected to take in lodgers at a nominal charge in all her residences. I have applied for a pied a terre in Buck House as it is very close to theatre land and very many genealogical facilities. ;-)

As far as unpopulated British places are concerned, we have South Georgia and the British Antarctic Territory. It would seems sensible to move people there from Gibraltar, Canvey Island and Jersey ;-)

Plenty of space in the centre of Australia

Oh! I forgot; England did try to shift some overcrowding problems to these shores a couple of hundred years ago :-D

You weren't one of them those were you ;-)

No Sandie, I had to pay my own way out!

And that was after the ending of the ten pound pommie emigrant scheme :-P

Allan ~ we live on a big island.

Some people would say we're under-populated.

Do you know what % of Oz is desert? I don't.

PS My parents were 10 pound Brits (NOT Poms!), no charge for children.

Hmmm ....wonder how much we subsidise the Falklands?

Edit - this is elicidating:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/20/falkland-islands-30-years-on-thatcher

From the above:

There is no council tax or VAT, no tax on petrol or diesel, and income tax is substantially lower than in Britain, with the first £12,000 of earnings tax-free and a top rate of only 26%.
Prescription are free.

Britain pays the islands' defence costs, currently over £60m a year. This works out at more than £20,000 per Falklander – almost twice the level of all public spending per Briton.

The government pays for Falklanders to study at university in Britain

Scozz, according to Wikipedia, 18% of mainland Oz is desert.

We came out under the family sponsorship scheme (my dad and brother were already out here)

I've forgotten the actual costs but back in 1982 QANTAS had just introduced a special emigrants fare, a bit cheaper than full fare. As my daughter was under the age of two, she travelled free. There was also an increased luggage allowance :-)

Allan, I remember my parents packing up lots of stuff into wooden boxes, to ship to Australia.

These boxes weren't on the same ship as us, they arrived about three months later! Dad brought all his tools. Lots of household items, including the washing machine! They brought some silly stuff, like a fake Christmas tree & decorations. My parents "rules" ~ We kids were allowed 1 toy each. I was told (at the ripe old age of 12) that I was too old for toys, so I brought nothing ~ all my stuff was given away. My brother was told he couldn't bring his guitar (he'd just started learning to play it).

I know one couple who brought the carpet from their old house in Scotland - they had enough to fit the house they bought in Oz!

I'm sure the 255 Service Men and Women who died in the Falklands Conflict will be having a great laugh at this Thread.

The badly wounded and mentally scarred will no doubt be laughing as well.

Not to mention their loved ones that they left behind..

The main reason for hanging on to the Falklands is because of the Oil, Gas and Mineral reserves within the Antarctic Region.

What price for our nice warm homes ?

Right on Stephen, only one thats got it right !.
I did get a laugh at the Argies running for cover tho.
How dare they trample on the Union Jack.
Bill in Oz

Thanks for the response , Bill in Oz.