Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called for British exiles in Dubai, including “washed-up old footballers and tax exiles”, to pay taxes to help fund the UK’s Armed Forces. His remarks came after Britain launched an operation to support at least 200,000 British nationals in the Middle East amid escalating conflict following Iranian strikes.
Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Davey asked Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer whether he agreed that British expatriates living in Dubai should contribute to the defence budget. “We rightly expect our Armed Forces to protect British citizens around the world in crises like this. But that includes tax exiles like Isabel Oakeshott and washed-up old footballers who mock ordinary people who pay our taxes here,” he said.
The comments targeted broadcaster Isabel Oakeshott, who relocated to Dubai in 2024 and is the fiancée of Reform UK leader Richard Tice. In response, Oakeshott told TalkTV: “I don’t really understand the point [Sir Ed] was trying to make... We may not pay as much tax as we did, but we still pay an awful lot more than the average person. That is a complete misunderstanding of the level of contribution that is being made by many people and the tax exiles are not asking to be rescued.”
The UK government has not yet responded to Davey’s proposal, but the exchange underscores growing debate over the obligations of wealthy Britons living abroad during international crises.
