HAL THINKS: Reverse Colonialism with a Smile — Starmer’s Two-Tier Indian Takeaway
Welcome to the United Kingdom, where working hard and paying your fair share is applauded—unless you’re foreign, in which case, we roll out a different carpet.
Thanks to a new deal under Keir Starmer’s UK-India Mobility Scheme, certain Indian professionals seconded to Britain can now avoid National Insurance contributions for up to three years. That’s right — full access to the NHS, roads, and public services, but no NI payments.
But let’s take a closer look. Because when you compare this deal to the experience of a British expat working in India on the same income, the double standards shine like a lighthouse on a foggy night.
🇮🇳 Indian Professional in the UK (Starmer’s NI Break Scheme)
Scenario: 3-year UK work visa, earning £38,000 salary and £18,000 overseas rental income (from property in India)
🗓 Year 1–3: NI Exemption Applies
Item Amount(£)
Gross UK Salary 38,000
Overseas Rental Income (India) 18,000
UK Income Tax (normal PAYE) -4,486
National Insurance (exempt) ~3,717 → 0
Visa & Legal Admin (avg/year) -750
Net Disposable Income £50,764
✅ Key Benefit: Exempt from National Insurance contributions for 3 years. Still pays UK income tax. Keeps overseas rental untaxed. Full NHS access.
🇬🇧 British Worker in India
Scenario: UK national earning £38,000 salary in India, with £18,000 UK rental income
🗓 Year 3: Full Indian Tax Residency Applies
Item Amount (£)
Gross Salary (India) 38,000
UK Rental Income (taxed in India) 18,000
Total Global Income 56,000
Indian Income Tax (approx. 30%) -16,800
UK Tax Credit on Rent (20%) +3,600
Net Tax Payable (India) -13,200
Visa, Legal, Admin (avg/year) -450
Net Disposable Income £24,350
⚠️ Key Disadvantage: Global income taxed at higher Indian rate; only partial relief for UK rental tax. No NHS. Still pays UK tax on rental.
📊 Side-by-Side: Where the System Cracks
Worker Gross Inc (£) Tax Paid (£) Net Inc (£)
Indian in UK £56,000 ~£5,236 £50,764
Brit in India £56,000 ~£13,650 £24,350
🧠 Final Thought: Same Numbers, Two Realities, Two Tiers!
The Indian national pays UK Income Tax but avoids National Insurance, gaining around £3,700 extra per year—all while keeping overseas rental income off the UK’s radar.
Meanwhile, the Brit abroad is taxed on their global income at Indian rates, gets no health benefits from either side, and has to fight for tax credits on rental income HMRC already taxed.
This isn’t about fairness. This is about quietly creating tax privilege by nationality. Starmer’s policy might boost immigration numbers, but it undermines the dignity of Brits abroad still being rinsed by tax systems on both ends.
Welcome to Global Britain — unless you’re British.
