British expats 'unhappy with government'

British nationals are choosing to leave the country because they are unhappy with the government, a Conservative MP has claimed.

Tory immigration spokesman Damian Green said the recent increase in outward migration from the UK is a "sad reflection" of a decade of Labour rule.

He was speaking after the Office for National Statistics revealed that more than 1.5 million people opted to pack their bags and move abroad between 1997 and 2007.

The body also stated that the number of Britons leaving the country each year has crossed the 200,000 mark for the first time.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mr Green commented: "Gordon Brown has been prime minister barely a year and people are fleeing the country."

This comes after a poll by Robinsons International found that Mr Brown is the person that Britons would be most pleased to see the back of if they lived abroad.

The prime minister was ranked in first place, just ahead of his predecessor Tony Blair.