Ex-Perthshire reporter may lose German post

A former Perthshire journalist could lose his position as mayor of a German town when the UK leaves the EU on October 31.

Dundee-born Iain MacNab moved to Germany in the 1970s having grown up in Wester Ross and spent time as a reporter for the Perthshire Advertiser.

The musician, who now runs an IT firm, serves as burgermeister of the German town of Brunsmark, located around an hour’s drive from Hamburg.

Iain has served in German local government for 16 years and unless he becomes a German citizen or secures dual nationality before the end of October, he will be forced to step down from the office he has held for more than 12 years.

A letter from the state of Schleswig Holstein, the wider region of northern Germany, explained to Mr MacNab that when the UK leaves the EU, British people “won’t be allowed to hold any office in a local council or local government”.

Iain said he is still to decide whether to return to Scotland with his German wife and their two children or to continue living in Brunsmark with his family.

He wants to see the EU reviewed rather than broken up.

He said: “I think (The EU has) got to be completely rethought. It’s got to be much more an organisation which advises the rest instead of imposing an amazing amount of rules and regulations.”

Mr MacNab will not be seeking dualcitizenship.

“I’ve been 70 years a Scot and I’m going to stay that way. It’s making me do something that I never ever wanted to do. It makes me begin to look at Scottish independence.”