Parliamentary games unsettle expats

Bewildered British residents are getting 'sick and tired'

BEWILDERED British expats are 'sick and tired' of politicians playing games with their lives in the ongoing Brexit debate, claim campaigners.

The UK is scheduled to leave the European Union on March 29 this year but the Withdrawal Agreement has yet to win favour in the House of Commons – and Prime Minister Theresa May is now hoping to convince Brussels to tweak the controversial Irish border ‘backstop’.

The agreement contains crucial guarantees for citizens’ rights; protecting a 5 million group of expats – British citizens living in the remaining 27 members of the EU and European nationals living in the UK.

However, on the Costa Blanca, uncertainty over the future is mounting as the prospect of Britain crashing out of the bloc with a ‘no deal’ rises.

A series of votes on a series of amendments took place in the House on Tuesday – Mrs May won a mandate to renegotiate the Ireland question and an advisory amendment was also passed seeking to prevent a no deal situation by rejecting leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement and a framework for the future relationship between the UK and Europe.

But European leaders immediately ruled out any renegotiation on the withdrawal agreement and underlined it was the 'best and only way' for the UK to achieve an orderly Brexit.

Margaret Hales, the Spanish spokesman for ECREU – Expat Citizens’ Rights in EU – said expats across the Costa Blanca were questioning the attitude and commitment of British leaders.

"British people here in Spain are sick and tired of the way politicians are almost having fun and playing games with our lives – they vote for something one week, have meetings and then vote again,” she said. “It is a serious business but it feels like they are just playing games.”

Margaret said Parliament’s amendment against leaving with a no deal was 'extraordinarily welcome', preventing British expats becoming ‘third country nationals’.

She attacked politicians in general and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn and Labour for playing politics rather than acting in the country’s best interest.

“This is sitting on the fence and fiddling while Rome burns. Corbyn or May, whatever side they are one, will have opposition from party members because you have to think of the whole country and what is best for it.

“We used to expect politicians to have the ability to work through issues and problems and provide legislation for the country and what is best for the rest of the country.

“It has become dominated by rather vain men and women wanting to preserve and advance their own careers.”