Check out this link:
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/6353/1 ... ?version=1
Look at page 32, points 71 and 74. It states that if your degree was not obtained within the past 5 years, you lose the 5 points you would have otherwise received for a UK degree.

Thanks Amy. I do make 80+ points. But I read somewhere in fine print (on the program's official website) that your UK degree must have been earned 3 (or 4 maybe) years before applying for the HSMP. I wanted to know a) how important this is - will I definitely be rejected just because I graduated 7 y...

Coming from an "English speaking country" will help only if you've lived in it. Alternatively, you may be a native English speaker but your country might not have English as an official language. "So long as you are from an english speaking country and all your education has been done...

If I graduated from a British university in 2000, can I apply for the HSMP?