Sue Wilson follows up on her first two Yorkshire Bylines open letters to the prime minister – you can read these here.

Dear Boris,

It’s been two whole months since my last letter, and still no response from you. I’m feeling a little unloved by your lack of attention, but considering what you’ve had to deal with recently, I’m prepared to make allowances.

Dealing with the pandemic has proved a heavy burden to many world leaders. On top of the weighty toll of covid, you’ve had a Brexit deal to secure and implement. It would be rather churlish of me, under the circumstances, to give you a hard time about your failure to acknowledge little old me. After all, it’s not like I’m a Conservative supporter, and most definitely not a party donor!

I must congratulate you on your handling of both crises. First, covid. It never ceases to amaze me as to your flexibility on the subject. What other leader has changed their mind so often regarding what strategy to pursue or what measures to enforce? Those that suggest you are unable to make a decision, that you ignore scientific advice, or accuse you of being reactive just don’t know what they are talking about! “He’s doing his best”, I tell them, and I truly believe that – you are using all the skills you possess.

The heavy toll of all those deaths must, I’m sure, keep you awake at night. Thank goodness the vaccination programme is rolling out at a world-beating pace. I promise to give you a big “woo-hoo!” when the roll-out of the second doses match up with the speed of the first.

My mum wanted me to tell you that she is most grateful that, at the age of 90, she has received her first jab. At the age of 67, I will have to wait a while longer, but it’s a great relief to know that one’s parent is on the road to safety. Likewise, you must be greatly relieved that your 80-year-old dad has had not one, but both vaccinations. Mum did ask if you could explain why her second appointment was cancelled, and your dad’s was not, but I assured her there would have been a very good reason and it was nothing to do with money or connections.

Of course, I cannot write without a mention of Brexit. I knew I was right when I said you’d get a deal, so congratulations. You pulled a rabbit out of the hat at the eleventh hour and proved all those doubters wrong. Not only that, but you managed to get parliament, including the troublesome ERG, to ratify the deal! That’s something not even the EU’s managed to do as yet.

It is perfectly understandable that the new arrangement is causing some concern over a few “teething problems”, but not to worry. I appreciate you are being inundated with complaints from various industries, but sod ‘em, I say! If the bankers, fishermen, musicians, farmers, cheese exporters et al were so concerned, they should have spoken up before Brexit was “done”. Bit late to cry about it now!

Considering my earlier letters – assuming you read them – you may have noticed a change in my attitude towards Brexit. I guess I have finally accepted that Brexit is “done” and that it’s time to move on. I’m not saying that will always be easy, but I know that I can rely on you to cheer up both me and the nation when we falter.

I very much look forward to seeing you out and about around the country, and I can’t wait to see what you will be doing, or wearing, next. I sincerely hope to see some more tractors, bulldozers, perhaps even a fishing boat or two. I especially look forward to seeing you dip into the dressing-up box again and donning the next uniform. I don’t believe we’ve yet seen you dressed as a sailor – perhaps that’s one to consider. Failing that, why not have a word with the Village People – I’m sure they could come up with a few ideas. Maybe they could even supply a theme song to go with it, like they unwittingly did for your old, disgraced American pal. In any case, with or without the outfits, I can’t wait to see how you are going to get yourself out of your next scrape.

Threatening the EU with some article or other, and persuading the media that the EU are still the bad guys, is no mean feat. I look forward, with interest, to see what japes you might come up with next. Having a jester for a prime minister doesn’t always look wise, but it sure can be a lot of fun in these depressing times, so keep up the good work!

Lots of love,

Sue Wilson

Chair of Bremain in Spain

Bremain Chair, Sue Wilson, wrote this article about the new American president, Joe Biden, for Yorkshire Bylines and it was published on 22 January 2021:

Donald Trump’s departure from the White House and the arrival of Joe Biden was a massive relief to millions this week. Not just in America, but all around the globe. After the nightmare of Trump’s presidency – the extremism, the lies, the childishness – Biden is a breath of fresh air. The appointment of Kamala Harris as his vice president was an added bonus – the first woman of colour to the role.

The strength of feeling across Europe – not least in the UK – was a surprise to many. It was as if we had been collectively carrying a heavy burden and the weight had been lifted from our shoulders. It had been replaced with a sense of relief and hope, and more than a little envy. Britain still has the prospect of another four years of our own mini-Trump; another four years of our own extremism, lies and childish behaviour.

After what had seemed like an interminable wait since the US election – a period when we dreaded what churlish antics Trump might get up to – Biden was finally sworn in on 20 January. The inauguration demonstrated more statesmanship in a few minutes than we had seen in the last four years. It was polished, full of promise and moving. Quite the contrast to the crass, narcissistic departure of spoilt brat Trump.

2nd open letter to Boris Johnson

On day one of his presidency, Biden certainly hit the ground running, proving beyond doubt that he was going to put his money where his mouth is. In a flurry of executive orders, he sought to overturn much of the damage caused by his predecessor. Those orders included stopping construction of the border wall; rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement; rejoining the World Health Organization; ending the Muslim travel ban; and introducing a nationwide face mask and social distancing mandate.

As Biden was demonstrating how caring, mature, professional leaders run a country, our own head of state was being “petty”. The UK government was refusing to grant the EU Ambassador to the UK full diplomatic status, declining to treat an international organisation in the way they treat nation states. This was despite the fact that EU Ambassadors in 143 other countries have been accorded an equivalent status to nations’ embassies under the Vienna Convention.

The EU’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, has written to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab saying, “Your service have sent us a draft proposal for an establishment agreement about which we have serious concerns. The arrangements offered do not reflect the specific character of the EU, nor do they respond to the future relationship between the EU and the UK as an important third country. It would not grant the customary privileges and immunities for the delegation and its staff. The proposals do not constitute a reasonable basis for reaching an agreement”.

Despite Brexit being “done”, negotiations between the UK and the EU are destined to continue for years, likely long past the life of the current government. The impact of such petty measures on our future relationship can only be guessed at, but it’s difficult to discern what the possible rationale for this move could be. Perhaps it’s nothing more than the government’s complete aversion to anything EU related.

Whether the government will continue to cause potential harm to relations with the EU remains to be seen. What’s clear is that post-Trump America is likely to align itself more closely with Europe than with the UK. Biden’s personal connections with Ireland are strong, and that’s certainly a factor. But when it comes to trade, size really does matter, and that means the single market.

After four years of Trump, America can finally start to break away from the toxicity, hate and fear. It’s going to be a long hard road to reverse the damage caused by an ex-narcissist in chief, but Biden and Harris have made a positive start. The journey is being led by those with a heart, a passion and a conscience.

We may have to wait four more years for a sea change in the UK. Who knows where the current government’s journey will take us in the meantime, or how much damage they might do in their time in power. We can only hope that with Trump now removed, the failures, lies and extremism of our own self-absorbed leader with be exposed for all the world to see, and to scorn.

“Expat” or “Immigrant”?

Personally, I hate the term “expat” as it confers a status on Brits that is unwarranted and unwelcome. We are immigrants – no better, no different to EU citizens living and working in the UK. I do understand, however, that in the UK media the term is shorthand for ‘British citizens living abroad’, which is – it’s fair to say – a bit of a mouthful.

Let’s stick to the facts though. It may well be true that “expats” who own a second home in Europe are furious. Whether it’s with regard to this coming change caused by Brexit – or by the loss of other EU citizenship rights – there is certainly much to be angry about. What is absolutely not true is that this is a result of “new post-Brexit travel rules”. Yes, this is a result of Brexit, but these rules are not new. These are the same rules that have applied to non-EU citizens all along – we were just lucky enough to have special, favourable rights that waived them. Brexit means the loss of these, and many other, rights associated with EU citizenship. If you are not members of the EU club, then you cannot expect the exclusive benefits that membership brings.

What is the rule?

The Daily Mail article stated that a 90-day stay meant anyone staying in an EU country would not be able to return for a further 3 months. It’s actually worse than that, as the rule does not apply just to one country, but to the EU as a whole. So, once an allowance of 90 days in a 180-day period has been used up, not only can you not return to your holiday home in Spain, or France, you cannot travel anywhere in the EU. Say goodbye to that romantic trip to Paris, or that historical tour of Rome. While you can enter the Schengen area more than once in the 90 day limit, the official guidance from the EU outlines the rules thus: “you must carefully calculate your days of stay as the overall period of stay must not exceed the overall total of 90 days of stay within any 180-days period”. Those “swallows” that like to spend winter in the sun, will find themselves returning to cold, British weather rather sooner than they’d like.

And what does it mean?

The ramifications of overstaying your welcome in Europe could be serious. Post-Brexit, British passports will be scanned on arrival and departure in Europe. Anyone caught “illegally present”, staying longer than permitted, risks an “over-stay flag” on their passport. This could not only lead to a fine, but to difficulties applying for any visa in future, or even a re-entry ban.

The implication from the Brexit-loving media, throughout the ongoing negotiations, has been that the EU are punishing the UK for leaving the union. Whenever details of the loss of rights or benefits has been brought to the public’s attention, blame has been levelled at the vindictive EU. Rules have, supposedly, been brought in specially to penalise the Brits, when in fact, those rules have always existed for third country nationals. Apart from the expectation that nothing would change – that lie sold to the British people during the Leave campaign – many assumed the UK could just negotiate the bits of EU membership they valued and ditch the bits they didn’t. The fact that there are rules that the EU must comply with never seemed to equate. To allow British citizens special rights after Brexit would not just be unfair to other third country nationals, in many cases it would actually be illegal.

Whether a second-homer or not, travel to the EU is about to become more difficult, and more expensive, for every Brit. The EU is about to launch the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), a new travel system aimed at controlling who enters EU territory. Citizens of more than 60 countries – including the UK – will need to apply for and obtain authorisation before turning up at EU borders. The date that the ETIAS will come into force is still to be determined.

And what will it cost?

Another casualty of Brexit is the loss of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for British travellers to Europe. The result will mean the need to purchase medical insurance – a considerable cost for a family travelling together, or for anyone with pre-existing medical conditions, assuming they would even qualify.

While you are adding up the additional costs, don’t forget also the loss of free data roaming on your mobile phone. No doubt the Mail blames the EU for that too.

And whose fault is it?

There’s no doubt there is a lot of anger at the realisation of what is about to be lost when the Brexit transition period ends. For some, this late awareness of the true meaning of Brexit – with or without a deal – has clearly been a bit of a shock. For those of us that have been pointing all of this out for the last four years, it’s incredibly frustrating. We’ve been accused of ‘project fear’ and told repeatedly that Brexiteers knew exactly what they were voting for. I’m not sure that was ever true, but they are certainly starting to get the idea now!

I have some sympathy for those second-home owners “furious” about the Brexit effect on their lives and their rights. I have sympathy with everyone who stands to lose something they value for no good reason, and often through no fault of their own. Having said that, those with two homes will have their European travels cut short. Those with lesser means, may have their European travels curtailed altogether. But, regardless of your means, Brexit will make us all the poorer, and that’s not the EU’s fault.

This story first featured on the West England Bylines website, written by Sue Wilson, Chair of Bremain in Spain.  For more information see the European Union FAQs re Schengen visa-free regime and Schengen visa website with Information for British second home owners in Spain.

Sue Wilson follows up on her last open letter to the Prime minister – you can read her first one here.

Dear Boris,

I hope you don’t mind me calling you Boris, but I feel we’re old friends now, even if you haven’t yet replied to my earlier letter.

I appreciate how busy you must be. As if it wasn’t a full-time job running the country, dealing with covid and negotiating Brexit. On top of all that, keeping those rowdy backbenchers in order must take a toll too. You just can’t get the staff these days! Perhaps there’s a Tory donor or friend of a cabinet minister that could give you some pointers on leadership skills for an exorbitant consulting fee.

When I last wrote in October, you had just announced that the country should prepare for a no-deal Brexit. Sorry to burst your balloon but I’m afraid, even now, there are very few people in the country that believe you really want no deal, and fewer still in the EU. Of course, we could all be wrong. You could actually be more stupid and dangerous than we all thought. Not me though. I tell everyone not to worry – and I know you won’t mind me saying this – but you are far too lazy for that, LOL!

I confess to being a bit disappointed though. I was hoping to be able to say by now “well done – look how far we’ve come”, but to even the casual observer, nothing much seems to have changed. Even the media can’t be bothered with any new on-again, off-again Brexit headlines. We’re just stuck in a Groundhog Day loop of endless recycling of pessimism and optimism – mostly pessimism, it has to be said. Despite several negotiating deadlines passing, and your assurances that your negotiators are working 25 hours a day, 8 days a week (I exaggerate slightly), it would appear that a deal is no closer. But not to worry, it’s not like there’s a clock ticking or anything.

I’d like to say we appreciate your efforts to always put a positive spin on developments, but that would be a porky pie. You’ll probably find this hard to fathom, but most of the country actually likes to hear straight-talking from their politicians, especially their prime minister. Even if it’s bad news, we prefer to know the truth. That might be a bit of intel you could also pass on to Matt Hancock and the cabinet. I’d write to him myself, but I really can’t be bothered.

On a more positive note, it was lovely to see you back in front of the cameras to announce that the UK will be world beating on delivery of the first vaccine. Not on the development of the vaccine, or the production – those pesky foreigners beat the UK to it – but sticking in the first needle is good too! As soon as I heard the news, I told my friend, “Just wait, that lovely Boris will be on the telly any minute now!” I just knew that you wouldn’t be able to resist the opportunity to share the good news! (To be honest, I didn’t say “lovely” or “Boris”, but my friend agreed with me just the same).

Despite your failure to save many unnecessary deaths during the Covid crisis, or to successfully negotiate even a bad Brexit deal, I do want to end my letter with my thanks. Thank you for getting rid of the twit in the hat, and for congratulating President-elect Joe Biden on his defeat of your old pal. I hope Biden will ignore all the rumours about you being untrustworthy and give you his full support.

I also want to congratulate you on still being prime minister. I wasn’t sure that you would last this long when I last wrote, but I stand corrected. I’m very happy about this, as I really think that the Brexit to come – whether a hard deal or no deal – should have your name all over it. You deserve nothing less, especially as I know how you like to take all the credit.

If it all goes horribly wrong, however, as a proud Remainer I’m perfectly willing to stand up with all the other Remainers and take full responsibility for whatever is coming down the road. A bad Brexit, a third wave of Covid, or anything else that might go wrong – after over four years, we are used to everything being our fault, or the EU’s.

I shall be watching closely as news of the ongoing negotiations unfold – or don’t – over the coming days. I’ll be spurring you on to secure a deal, and I won’t even mind a bit of boasting when the time comes. If you could do me one favour though – when you make the announcement that the UK has “won” a deal and the EU has “caved into our demands”, comb your hair, and make a middle-aged woman very happy.

Lots of love,

Sue Wilson,

Chair of Bremain in Spain

Sue wrote both letters for Yorkshire Bylines. 

Any new government campaign usually warrants a catchy new slogan, but this time an earlier one was recycled – “Check, Change, Go”. To translate that from government-speak, it’s fair to assume it’ll mean more checks before you go and handing over a lot more change for the privilege.

If you’re intending to travel to Europe for pleasure, the government website is recommending that you:

~Check your passport
~Get travel insurance that covers your healthcare
~Check you have the right driving documents
~Organise pet travel
~Ensuring you have six months left to travel on your passport is not new in many countries, and will make little difference in the grand scheme of things. More problematic will be other newly required travel documentation.

On arrival in an EU country, you will need to prove you have enough money to cover the cost of your visit. You will be asked to produce a return ticket to prove you intend not to outstay your welcome. It will only be possible to stay 90 days in any 180 day period – that’s 90 days in Europe in total, not 90 days in any one EU country. So, those with second homes in Europe will no longer be able to spend half the year in their favourite destination without forfeiting the opportunity of visits to other EU destinations the same year. This will also rule out the “swallows” who like to fly into Spain and France for the winter months. They will have to limit their winter visit to just 90 days, not the more usual four months.

Additional costs will also come in the form of health insurance and driving permits. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is only valid until the end of this year. Over the course of the Brexit negotiations, there have been government assurances, not least from the ex-Brexit Secretary, David Davis, that the government was “looking to see if we can get a continuation of the EHIC scheme as it now exists”. There was even talk of the government providing a similar scheme “unilaterally”. This close to the Brexit negotiating deadline, the EHIC card is hardly likely to be a top government priority, so private medical insurance here we come. That’s fine and dandy if you’re relatively young, fit and healthy, but prohibitively expensive for older travellers with pre-existing medical conditions.

Driving will also present additional challenges for those travelling across the continent, particularly if you’re planning to visit more than one country. The current government advice on this is full of ambiguity – you “may” need extra documents, you “might” need an international driving permit, a green card or a GB sticker. Not to worry – “Check, Change, Go!”

Many European tourists who choose to go by car do so to facilitate travelling with pets. The new process will replace the EU pet passport scheme and applies to dogs, cats and, for some bizarre reason unknown to me, ferrets. The final details will not be known until Brexit negotiations are concluded, when we will discover which category of ‘third country’ the UK becomes. Suffice to say that the process will certainly include a rabies blood test, a vaccination and the insertion of a data chip, and will take several months. At least your pet’s journey will not include having to quarantine (though your journey still might)!

For those of us who are never far from our mobile phones, even on holiday, beware of the cost of mobile roaming charges. You are going to be spending your European holidays searching for free WiFi when our current EU arrangements for free mobile data come to an end. A new law will provide some protection from the risk of being charged more than £45 without your knowledge, but it’s easy to see how the coming changes are all adding pounds, and inconvenience, to your European travel experience.

And what about business travel to the EU? Well, your checklist will be even longer. Additional hurdles will include checking the following:

Will your professional qualifications be recognised if you are offering services?
Do you have the right documentation to take goods with you?
There used to be further blurb for business travellers on the government website, regarding a potential increase in social security payments, but the page “has been withdrawn because it’s out of date”. No rush, nothing to see here, plenty of time left – “Check, Change, Go”.

Travel to Europe has been drastically reduced in 2020 due to the pandemic and the measures put in place to prevent its spread. Whether it’s due to restrictions placed on the hospitality industry, the fear of crowds and infection, or the inconvenience of quarantine measures, 2020 has been the year of the UK staycation. While the British tourism industry may have benefited in some small way in some areas, countries like Spain and France have suffered considerably as a result.

It’s safe to assume that travel to Europe is about to become even more complicated, more time-consuming and more expensive. Like the British economy, European tourism is about to suffer the double whammy of Covid and Brexit damage.

Of course, not all Brits will suffer this fate. Those with the wherewithal to buy EU citizenship, or with access to a private jet and minions to do all the necessary paperwork for them, will barely notice.

Us mere mortals will have to “check” all the boxes, “change” a lot more pounds for euros, and perhaps “go” somewhere cheaper on holiday in future.

Sue Wilson, Chair Bremain in Spain

British citizens, both in the UK and abroad, will lose many of their current rights – those associated with EU membership – when the Brexit transition period comes to an end on 31 December. For the 1.2 million Brits already living in the EU, the withdrawal agreement has provided an element of comfort that at least some of our basic rights would be protected. The biggest fear among this group has been that the British government would somehow undermine the withdrawal agreement, and that those rights we believed secure would again be put at risk.

Brexit-supporting MPs have long criticised the withdrawal agreement. Without a hint of irony, they have complained about the content, despite having pushed parliament to vote for it in a hurry. Whether they failed to understand it, failed to read the small print, or just didn’t care, we may never know. According to some European Research Group members, the only reason they signed up to the withdrawal agreement was on the understanding from Boris Johnson there would be an opportunity to revisit it further down the road. On Wednesday, that ‘opportunity’ was brought to parliament with the first reading of the internal market bill.

Nothing to worry about, ministers assured parliament. Just a bit of housekeeping to tidy up a few loose ends regarding the Northern Ireland protocol. No need to be concerned that the government was planning to break international law – they would only do so in a “limited way”. That argument failed to convince parliamentarians, with outrage being expressed even by senior, and in some cases Brexit-supporting, Conservatives.

Needless to say, the EU was not impressed either, stressing that the protocol the UK parliament had ratified was a “legal obligation”. President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, warned Johnson not to break international law and said:

“I trust the British government to implement the withdrawal agreement, an obligation under international law and prerequisite for any future partnership.”

An interesting choice of words considering the efforts the UK government seems to have made to undermine that trust.

Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts said the UK risked turning into “a rogue state” if it reneged on its legal commitments. Chief Brussels negotiator Michel Barnier commented, “Everything that has been signed must be respected.” Likewise, leaders from across the world have been quick to emphasise the importance of international law, and in particular the impact any breach would have on the Good Friday Agreement and likelihood of any future trade deals with the UK.

Thankfully, under the terms of the withdrawal agreement, the rights of British citizens in Europe are not the direct responsibility of the British government. In fact, the protection of our withdrawal agreement rights as legal EU residents are the responsibility of the relevant EU member state. Where I live in Spain, the authorities have been incredibly supportive. I have felt secure in the knowledge that my rights – to my British pension and free healthcare – are in the safe hands of the Spanish, not the British, government.

However, the latest UK government plans to renege on international treaty commitments has sent shockwaves throughout British migrant communities. Questions arise as to the full consequences of its actions.

This week, just two days before the reading of the bill, Barnier himself provided some reassurance for Britons resident in Europe. When he spoke on a French radio programme, he said that, “the rights of citizens including pensions are guaranteed under the withdrawal agreement, which has been signed and come into force”. Signed, yes, but clearly there are those busy searching for an eraser.

The last four and a half years have been a rollercoaster ride, though without any of the thrills. The anxiety, anger and despair felt by those with rights at risk has been hard to handle. Nothing, apart from continued membership of the EU and retention of all existing rights, would be enough for many of us. The withdrawal agreement has, or should I say had, provided some relief that all was not lost. But just when we thought the British government could no longer threaten our sanity and security, it has lobbed a hand grenade into the negotiations.

As a Spanish resident and European, I have put my faith in the Spanish government and the EU. Both have promised to protect me and have done nothing to undermine that trust – quite the opposite, in fact. As a British citizen though, trust in my own, potentially rogue, government has been completely eroded.

I believe the EU will do everything in their power to ensure withdrawal agreement commitments are met by all parties – the UK included. They have taken their responsibilities to all EU citizens – including us Brits – very seriously throughout the Brexit process. That responsibility will not end when Brexit is finally ‘done’. If this latest Johnson threat cannot be resolved to the EU’s satisfaction, then the UK government could find themselves in the European Court of Justice.

If the protection of British citizens in Europe rests with our European hosts, then spare a thought for EU citizens living in the UK and ask yourself if you would feel safe in their shoes. It’s going to take more than a dose of Johnson optimism to make them, and us, feel completely safe – especially if the prime minister’s signature turns out not to be worth the paper it’s written on.

Unless, of course, it’s on his resignation.

Sue Wilson, Chair Bremain in Spain