Town halls respond to British concerns

Some town halls in Spain have responded to the concerns of their expats by reassuring them that nothing has changed. This is true in so far as the UK has not yet left the EU. With nothing yet decided and no action yet taken, British nationals living in Spain and those visiting should expect to be treated exactly the same as before the referendum.

However, no town hall can promise that things will be the same after the UK has left the EU. This decision will not be made at a local level and as such it can be misleading. However, it is good to hear support from Spanish officials.

Examples include:

In Fuengirola, a public meeting was held on the 8th November to discuss the implications of Brexit with Councillors, support groups and law firm representatives. The minutes of the meeting are interesting to read  and there are some useful questions raised with answers that apply wherever you might be living in Spain. Those speaking at the meeting are also keen to emphasise the importance of registering on the padrón and ensuring you are officially ‘present’ in Spain.

Report of our Public Meeting Fuengirola 8 Nov 2016

In Calpe the British Consul for Alicante, SarahJane Morris met with expat property owners. Once more there is little concrete information to go on. However, people reported appreciating opportunity to raise their concerns even if there was little the experts were able to provide in the way of an answer.

Let's talkabout Brexit

In Torrevieja The PP party have been calling for more assurance for expats in the local community that there is support for them. They have highlighted the anxiety that there is and even though there aren’t concrete answers as such yet, they would like to see a more proactive approach to addressing concerns. The current town council has reassured British people living in the community that they will continue to preserve their interests as they do with all those of different nationalities living in the area.

Javea’s mayor has also expressed his support:

Allaying Brexit fears in Javea

Put your house in order

The main piece of advice currently is that British nationals should make sure that they are registered with a residencia and on the town register (padrón) to ensure that they continue to receive entitlements. Some people have continued to live under the radar in Spain for many years. This is likely to become more difficult once the UK has left the EU.

Accurate figures of those actually living in Spain are also needed to enable the British government to quote correct figures of British nationals living in the country.

For Ábaco’s advice about taking up residency:

How to become a resident in Spain

A video summary of some alternatives

You need to have your wits about you to keep pace with the speed of this video. However, it does explain very clearly what the alternatives for Brexit might be and what the likelihood is of it happening:

Brexit, Briefly

The conversation continues to comment

The Conversation is an interesting collection of articles on a variety of topical subjects written by experts. Whether you are personally tired of experts or not, the articles available to read for free on this website are interesting and usually well-informed. Over the past months there have been many contributions on the theme of Brexit. This article is just one:

A Brexit strategy that could unite UK’s parliaments - and keep Britain in the single market

Brexit Files

This daily summary of the latest Brexit information seems like a good bitesize source of information. 

This is the summary from 22nd November:

POLITICO Brexit Files: ‘Welcome to hell’ - ‘No vacancy’ for Farage — When moths attack

El País Facebook live broadcasts

This is an excellent opportunity to listen to information in English from Spain. The editor of El País in English, Simon Hunter and his colleague, Nick Line,  talk through different stories from Spain and, for those listening live, take questions.

The presentation is interesting and informative. The broadcast takes place every couple of weeks and and discussions about Brexit have featured. The videos can be accessed from their Facebook page:

El País English Edition - Facebook Page

Some people are benefitting

The drop in the value of the pound has been a big blow to many. However, there are some who have benefitted. Spanish tourism in the UK has risen as a result of the increase of the value of the euro to sterling.  In Spanish News Today they tell us about how some Spaniards are taking advantage of this to enjoy a weekend city break in London:

Brexit boosts Spanish tourism in the UK

Positive words on the status of expats

The Telegraph is reporting that Theresa May has twice indicated recently that a decision about the status of EU residents in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU could be resolved shortly.

Mrs May told business leaders at the CBI on Monday 21st November: ‘I want an early agreement on the status of UK nationals in Europe and EU nationals here, so that you and they can plan with certainty.’ Without a doubt people would very much appreciate an indication of what the terms and conditions might be:

British expats set to be granted right to carry on living in EU with Theresa May 'close to reciprocal rights deal'

What the Spanish papers have to say

El Confidencial is reporting on a split in the government between Theresa May and Philip Hammond. The split is reported to be between Theresa May’s awareness that controlling immigration must be delivered and Philip Hammond’s concern to maintain the prosperity of the country. Other clashes include Theresa May’s promise to address the issues for the most disadvantaged whilst Hammond has already stated that the most that can be done for them is that the economy continues to function well.

El Confidencial

La Razón published an article that says a priority for Theresa May is to regulate the status of European nationals living in the UK and the British abroad. The statement was made during the Confederation of British Industry conference when she needed to reassure British businesses and allay their fears.

La Razón  

Expansión has published that the main British banks could leave the UK in 2017 because of worries about Brexit. They suggest that some larger banks might go early in 2017 but smaller ones might opt to leave even sooner. Expansión quotes the head of the British Bankers Association, Anthony Browne, who has warned that ‘the public and political debate at the moment is leading us in the wrong direction.’

Expansión

20 minutos has published that 400,000 British people will lose their status as millionaires largely due to the fall in the value of the pound. Since the Brexit vote the value of houses has fallen substantially and it is estimated that the UK lost $1.5 trillion of its wealth as a result of the Brexit vote.

20 minutos have also published that a trip to London for new year celebrations will be significantly cheaper this year than last. With the falling pound the average cost of a ticket has fallen from €131 in 2015 to €81 in 2016.

20 minutos