The
OLIVE PRESS
Mijas Costa FREE
ANDALUCIA
Your expat
voice in Spain
Vol. 13 Issue 333 www.theolivepress.es December 18th - January 7th 2020
Festive fears for British expats after landslide Boris victory slides UK ever-nearer Brexit... BRITISH expats are in turmoil about their futures in Spain, following Boris Johnson’s huge election victory. Healthcare, pensions and the fate of the pound will keep expats awake at night this Christmas, now that Johnson has promised to ‘get Brexit done’ by the end of January. With the overwhelming majority of
By Karen Livermore and Robert Firth
expats voting to remain, there are set to be many uncomfortable and unsettling periods ahead. “People are disappointed with the way this has panned out and are feeling very uneasy,” said British coun-
cillor in Mijas Bill Anderson. “I am hearing many concerns and confusion over what will now happen, particularly from constituents who are retired,” added the respected Olive Press columnist. “They are worried about their pensions and whether they will be index-linked. They are worried about
...but there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful... There’s so much to read in this bumper Olive Press special festive edition
On the slopes with the pros in snowy Page 17 Granada
health cover and of course how Brexit will affect the pound, which in turn will affect the amount of income they have to live on.” He continued: “In five or 10 years time expats are scared they won’t be able to afford to continue living here.” He added that many people are now considering returning to the UK, because - above all - they fear they won’t be able to afford healthcare. A quarter of a million Britons officially live in Spain, making it the most popular European destination for British people living abroad. Many more live here unofficially or for half the year. However, expats on the mainland still lack clarity over healthcare, pensions and rights of family when the UK finally leaves.
Suicide
Tracing the origins of the Costa del Crime
Page 6-7
Home cooking with the biscuitbaking nuns
Page 38
Anne Hernandez of Brexpats in Spain, which promotes the rights of British expats in Spain, said the confusion is causing many residents distress, leading to some even contemplating suicide. “It is putting people under incredible pressure. Some have said; ‘I am so suicidal,’ particularly some of the elderly,” she told the Olive Press. She added she was ‘bitterly disappointed’ with the result of the election, which put an end to all calls for a second referendum. Now Johnson has a majority, MPs are expected to start the process of passing the EU withdrawal bill through parliament on Friday, with Johnson promising a Brexit ‘Christmas gift’ to voters. Christine Rowlands, chair of Conservatives Abroad on the Costa del Sol, offered up a more optimistic view of the future, at least. Despite being a ‘staunch remainer,’ she told the Olive Press she was glad the election result meant Brexit would ‘finally be over’. “The reaction has been good from both sides,” she said. “My members just want the job done.” She added the party was now ‘passionate’ to overturn the 15-year voting rule for expats who have lived abroad that long. “It's ridiculous that in my position here I cannot vote either. It would be the icing on the cake if this happened.” Opinion Page 6
Tel: 952 147 834
952 147 834
See pages 5 & 45
TM