What will Theresa May’s ‘meaningful vote’ really mean for ex-pats?

I hope Theresa May had a good Christmas for she has very little chance of a happy new year.

The curse of Brexit will continue to haunt the British Prime Minister and her beleaguered government, starting with the so-called ‘meaningful vote’ on the withdrawal agreement that she hopes will be approved by parliament before January is out.

That vote will have a huge bearing not only on the United Kingdom but on the lives of expat Britons around the world, including the thousands who live and work here in Cyprus. There are a number of likely outcomes each with its own set of consequences. So, if ... change her mind. A choice between a no-deal Brexit and May’s deal would seem likely to produce a favourable result for the prime minister, but Mrs May would have great difficulty getting approval for that referendum from her own Conservative party.

It is hard to see how May could lead her party into another election. If she did, and she won, she would get her deal. If Labour won, Jeremy Corbyn would press for an agreement to keep the UK in a Customs Union. This could be good news for expats. But Corbyn is opposed to free movement of labour and is unlikely to get one without the other.