graeme_p - 1:33 am on Aug 7, 2010 (gmt 0)

@Old_Honky, unless you are being sarcastic, you are definitely not a Daily Mail reader!

The UK fails several of his criteria:low cost, non-nuclear, easy entry, pleasant weather. The UK is easy entry if you are a rich tax dodger (the UK is a tax haven for those with investment income who claim non-domiciled status), but not for a working webmaster.

I also think which part of the UK matters: I love London (grew up there, regard it as my home town), but I loathe Manchester (ugly, rains constantly, high crime, racist).

I also do not like the UK, these days, as a place to bring up kids.

A combination of the above is why the UK is no longer emigrants' favourite destination (I live in a country with a very high emigration rate, and the UK used to the natural place to go). Australia and Canada are the most popular now.

Actually, region matters anywhere bigger than, say, Singapore (now there is a possibility - but too hot and too controlled for my taste).

The other country I have lived in (where I live now) is Sri Lanka, which meets the low cost of living criteria, but fails the good infrastructure ones (especially fast internet access - but at least my broadband is cheap and uncapped).

There are lots of British immigrants in the town I live in, but not webmasters or IT people of similar - mostly rather spivvy types in tourism or construction.

That brings me to one piece of advice to people who do emigrate: avoid living in in area with lots of people from your country of origin, or being drawn into your ethnic community. I have had bad experiences of these communities both ways.