The newspaper points, among other things, to the low wages, but also to the weak purchasing power of the British. “The American level of prosperity is so far out of our reach that we would need an economic Apollo mission to bridge the gap. The manager of a gas station in Texas gets paid even more than our prime minister,” it sounds sharp. “With a difficult election ahead, Rishi Sunak (the first prime minister with a migration background, ed.) regret giving up his US green card.”
According to The Telegraph, there are even stories of doctors moving to Australia or Dubai for a higher salary and fewer working hours. The newspaper warns of the risk that this trend could become widespread, because “the combination of economic stagnation and increasing growth in other countries lures young people away.”
But according to the columnist, “the best reason to leave is not because other countries are richer or growing faster”, but because the UK “seems unable to solve its own problems.” The newspaper mentions issues such as the tight housing market, low birth rates, the high tax burden, the poor health care and the increasing aging population.
Finally, the columnist brings in German economist Albert Hirschman – who described the choice of consumers faced with deteriorating quality as a choice between “voice” or “exit” – to make his point: either you stay and try your hand at business or you leave for a better alternative. So it is clear to the newspaper. “Those who can go, must go.”