Sunak has used a lot of Political Credit on sorting out the Northern Ireland Protocol deal ...

“Northern Ireland is in the unbelievably special position - unique position in the entire world - in having privileged access not just to the UK market… but also the EU single market” - Rishi Sunak
Bit ironic since the whole of the U.K. had this privileged access before Brexit …..

Nothing makes sense any more. Doesn't Rishi Sunak understand how absurd his comment is?
Did he tell us what the cost of setting up the green and red lanes will be? Perhaps I missed that.

Just seen some likely timing for the new Agreement. It’s likely to take ‘until the summer’ (so best case is probably July?) to be ratified by all member states and then the EU Parliament, and No 10 says it will take a year after that to phase in.

Germanshepherdsmum

Probably so. Perhaps they were a little short sighted, or wanting to have their cake and eat it.

They probably believed the”cake and eat it” diatribe, they are disappointed, certainly no logic to the decision.

Germanshepherdsmum

Probably so. Perhaps they were a little short sighted, or wanting to have their cake and eat it.

At the time we researched the ins and outs of owning our property in Europe in relation to voting Leave. We came to the conclusion that Brexit would not affect us too much because we had already been in the French system, and in addition we had private healthcare insurance. Moreover Brexit would not directly affect the inheritance tax and capital gains taxes charged in relation to our owning property over there. The 90 day visit thing didn't really concern us either because in our early/mid 50s we were both still working, so couldn't go over for long stays anyway. We were not retirees.
Not saying this was everyone's thinking who had property abroad, just a snapshot of our particular case.

Dare I ask if you voted Leave, Joseanne?

What we always thought

Sunak : “The UK will remain a member of the ECHR”

That shot Raab and Braverman up the proverbial. - good. It means of course that Rwanda is dead in the water. Yet more money wasted. Will they ever stop?

Maybe Sunak is getting a grip after all!.

I’m beginning to wonder whether Sunak’s Brexit credentials are as solid as he used to have us believe. Frankly listening to him today and on other occasions more recently he certainly does not sound like a brexiter but more like Thatcher.

Whitewavemark2

I’m beginning to wonder whether Sunak’s Brexit credentials are as solid as he used to have us believe. Frankly listening to him today and on other occasions more recently he certainly does not sound like a brexiter but more like Thatcher.

I think there's a few agitated Brexiters who are now calling him a Remainer - and suggesting he's sold them down the river!

MaizieD

Dare I ask if you voted Leave, Joseanne?

PM sent MaizieD.

I think he’s trying to heal the rift tbh get a better deal for NI and become friendlier to EU officials, after all you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Oreo

I think he’s trying to heal the rift tbh get a better deal for NI and become friendlier to EU officials, after all you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Pity that lesson wasn’t learned 7 years ago.

But do not make the mistake that we are in the driving seat when it comes to negotiations with any big economic block.

I'm wondering what this concession to NI means for the people of Scotland, considering that 62% of Scots voters voted to remain in the EU. There is already much talk of Scottish Firms moving their HQs to NI in order to more easily trade with the EU.

MaizieD

Lots of people who owned places in Spain voted Leave, GSM. They didn't think it would make any difference to them.

I think the 'Spain really needs the British tourists' belief had much the same potency as 'German car makers will make sure the British get a good deal'

We did and it hasn’t.

Germanshepherdsmum

Do I correctly understand that despite owning a place in Spain Urms voted Leave? I don’t understand - but then I was and am a Remainer. Neighbours of ours also own a property in Spain, where they can no longer spend so much time - they didn’t vote Leave.

I did indeed vote Leave GSM.
We bought our little apartment there 19y ago this summer. The 180 day rule has always applied - for which country has the 183 days is where one pays tax. That’s the major living country.

I think the 90/180 affected some retirees who liked to winter over in Spain, Portugal, France using all their 180 day allowance in one go. A couple I know used to do this 10y ago when newly retired. Go out to Spain for 90 days using their private insurance whilst there which then expired, so they’d come home to the UK for the month of February, purchasing another 90 day block of private insurance, returning at the end of May.

Tighter restrictions mean that isn’t possible any more. If they go out for 90 days they then have to return here for 90 days before being allowed back. So basically they can have 3 months in winter now out there and 3 months during the summer months.

I read in the Euro Weekly News last year that one main reason why the 180 days ‘in one go’ was stopped was to deter young people going over for the 6 summer months, working ‘cash in hand’ in some of the British bars. How true that is I don’t know but I’m sure (years ago) that used to happen!

Hmm. I didn’t make that very clear.
During February when this couple renewed their private 90 day health cover they would fly back to Spain on 1st March and return to the UK at the end of May.

As I say, this is no longer allowable.

It defeats me to understand how such tighter restrictions are a benefit. Closing the door to others opportunities just because they don’t apply to you seems a tad selfish to me.

Urmstongran

MaizieD

Lots of people who owned places in Spain voted Leave, GSM. They didn't think it would make any difference to them.

I think the 'Spain really needs the British tourists' belief had much the same potency as 'German car makers will make sure the British get a good deal'

We did and it hasn’t.

It might not make any difference to you but it does for anyone else who might want to buy a flat in Spain with the ease which you no doubt did.

You helped pull up the drawbridge to fellow Britons who might want to buy a place in the EU sun - obviously it wouldn't be so straightforward now, at least for those of modest means, rather than the jet-set who can buy their way into anywhere.

Riverwalk

Urmstongran

MaizieD

Lots of people who owned places in Spain voted Leave, GSM. They didn't think it would make any difference to them.

I think the 'Spain really needs the British tourists' belief had much the same potency as 'German car makers will make sure the British get a good deal'

We did and it hasn’t.

It might not make any difference to you but it does for anyone else who might want to buy a flat in Spain with the ease which you no doubt did.

You helped pull up the drawbridge to fellow Britons who might want to buy a place in the EU sun - obviously it wouldn't be so straightforward now, at least for those of modest means, rather than the jet-set who can buy their way into anywhere.

No it hasn’t pulled up the drawbridge our close friends purchased a new build second home in Spain last summer.

It was straight forward, the key to buying abroad is to have a good bi-lingual legal representative.

GrannyGravy13

Riverwalk

Urmstongran

MaizieD

Lots of people who owned places in Spain voted Leave, GSM. They didn't think it would make any difference to them.

I think the 'Spain really needs the British tourists' belief had much the same potency as 'German car makers will make sure the British get a good deal'

We did and it hasn’t.

It might not make any difference to you but it does for anyone else who might want to buy a flat in Spain with the ease which you no doubt did.

You helped pull up the drawbridge to fellow Britons who might want to buy a place in the EU sun - obviously it wouldn't be so straightforward now, at least for those of modest means, rather than the jet-set who can buy their way into anywhere.

No it hasn’t pulled up the drawbridge our close friends purchased a new build second home in Spain last summer.

It was straight forward, the key to buying abroad is to have a good bi-lingual legal representative.

Obviously you can still buy in the EU - I have a friend currently buying in Italy - my point was it wouldn't be from the same starting point. Regardless of your lawyer, you no longer have the same rights as you did as an EU citizen.

I didn’t pull up any drawbridge. Thank you GG13.
A friend of ours bought a small apartment up the road from us in October last year. Easy peasy” was how she described it! They, like us, are not wealthy.

Anyway didn’t most voters decide what they wanted out of the referendum on personal circumstances? Actually the majority I would hazard!

www.myspanishresidency.com/buying-house-spain/

Doesn’t seem much different now than when we bought to be honest.

Urmston my point was along the lines of, if your AC or GC want to buy in the EU in the future they won't be able to do so on the equal terms that you did, not that it won't be technically easy just not on the same terms.

You had a right to do, future purchasers don't.

Just as UK students can still study in the EU, but they don't have an absolute right to do so. if you get my drift.

How easy peasy the technicalities are is not the same as a legal right.

Sorry to be dim here Riverwalk but what have I had access to that my friend who bought recently doesn’t? I truly don’t get it.

... in the future they won't be able to do so on the equal terms that you did

Can you be specific to help a bear of very little brain as I truly don’t think I had any more advantageous terms when we bought?