Rio Ferdinand chose to move to Dubai with his family in the summer, criticizing the UK government’s poor use of taxpayers’ money and lack of control over the NHS.
Rio Ferdinand has chosen to leave the UK and live in Dubai, claiming taxpayers will be asking themselves whether their money is actually bringing any benefits to their lives.
The former Manchester United star opted to take the plunge and head to the United Arab Emirates, claiming the government’s use of taxpayers’ money and the ongoing struggles of the NHS were among his motivations for resigning.
In last year’s budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a £40 billion tax increase on businesses, and said voters “must all do their part” to fix Britain’s finances, breaking with Labor’s manifesto promise to raise income tax in this month’s budget.
Despite leaving the UK in August and not having to pay taxes on his new home, Mr Ferdinand has argued that people would be happy to pay taxes in the UK if the government did things right, but he does not believe that is actually the case.
“If health services and other things existed and they worked perfectly well, people wouldn’t mind paying taxes,” he told LBC.
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“But when things break down and things go wrong, you sit there and think, ‘I’m paying all this tax money, but is it really going to go to something that benefits the people who live here?’ And that’s a big question to answer – and I think many of us know the answer.”
The 46-year-old, who quit his pundit role at TNT Sports last season, claims he has been able to spend more time with his family since his move. “My family is seeing me a lot more and I’m spending quality time with them, which I think is really great,” he said.
“I love Britain and I’m a patriotic guy in that sense, but I think a new journey, a new chapter, something different is a fresh new chapter in my life.”
Ferdinand and his partner Kate enjoy a luxurious lifestyle in Dubai. Kate previously shared a glimpse of her £6.5 million mansion, located in the luxury gated community of Al Barari, on Instagram. The property is thought to have seven bedrooms, a family pool, a rooftop terrace with coastal views and a home cinema.
Before moving, Ferdinand and his wife lived in a multi-million pound house in Bromley, south-east London, but often traveled to Dubai for family holidays.
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