Tibi
February 22, 2016
Dear Editor
A response to two misleading aspects of your correspondents’ arguing in favour of Brexit in the 19th February 2016 issue of CBN.
P Henham says: “Our relationship with the EU post exit would be the same as that of… Norway”.
As I understand it, Norway, although out of the EU, is signed up to the EU Single Market. As such, it pays into the EU much the same per capita as the UK. It also has to abide by most of the EU regulations, about which it cannot argue its case as it has no “seat at the table” – it has to lobby other nations’ MEPs and governments to put its case. AND it has to accept free movement of labour. I somehow don’t think this relationship is what the “Leavers” really want for Britain. The Prime Minister of Norway has said recently that he wishes that Norway was a member of the EU and hopes that Britain will remain in.
N J Whiteside misleadingly says: “The biggest threat may yet come from the hundreds of thousands of migrants who have gained a place in Britain and have got themselves on the register – many of these will vote… to stay within the EU”.
This is not so. The fact is EU and other migrants into Britain are barred from voting in UK general elections and referendums, as we migrants into Spain are prevented from voting in Spain’s general and regional elections and referendums. Brexit campaigners have no idea what our future relationship with the EU will be, a worrying prospect for us in Spain. As the British Ambassador in Madrid alluded to in your paper recently, it will be a leap into the unknown.
British citizens and we expats in Spain are better off staying in the EU. If you have lived here less than 15 years you can register to vote in the Referendum at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote – it takes 5 minutes and every vote counts.
Regards
Malcolm Hardy
