Keep up with the latest from Bremain in Spain
What does 2021 hold for those in Spain who fought against Brexit?
After months of bluster, grandstanding and tedium, the UK and EU have finally agreed a Brexit trade deal. Although it’s far from ideal, and even further from the best deal possible – the one we already had – it’s a great relief all round not be crashing over the...
As the ‘moment of truth’ arrives our Brexit future is still uncertain
writes Sue Wilson from Bremain in Spain On Sunday evening, the last trade deal deadline passed without progress, leaving us none the wiser as to whether the UK will leave the EU with a deal in just a few days time. Although I understood the attraction of Boris...
Whether leave or remain it’s time to accept the bureaucracy in Spain
With a "no deal" Brexit looking more and more likely, Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain, reflects that those best prepared to face it are the ones who least wanted it.Well, here we are, just three weeks from the end of the Brexit transition period, and still none the...
What Brexit means for British Expats in Europe
If you are a Daily Mail reader – or even if you are not – you may well have seen their latest outraged headline criticising the EU. It reads: “Furious British expats blast EU’s new post-Brexit travel rules which will ban them from spending more than three months at a...
Second Open letter to Boris Johnson
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...
Bremainers Ask….. Catherine Bearder
When first married, Catherine spent time in Africa studying wildlife. On her return to Oxford she worked in the voluntary sector: at the local wildlife trust, at the Citizens Advice Bureau and for the National Federation of WIs and Victim Support. Catherine’s...
Yes, second-home owners in Spain should be furious about the post-Brexit 90-day rule
Yes second-home owners in Spain and frequent visitors should be furious, but don't blame the EU for the "new" post-Brexit travel rules, writes Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain. If you’re a British “expat” who follows the UK press, you’re presumably “furious” about the...
Autumn/Winter Events
10th December Virtual event 16.30 CETPOLITICOEurope’s economy: How can it be reset?Speakers: Laurence Boone, Tadeusz Kościński, Maarten VerweyRegister to attend here10th December Live Panel Event on Facebook & Twitter 18.00 – 19.00 GMT Good Law ProjectCronyism:...
‘Brits in Spain are giving up hope of spending Christmas with their UK family and friends’
Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain considers the obstacles preventing many Brits from heading back to the UK for Christmas and asks whether it's a sacrifice we should all be prepared to make. As the UK approaches the end of its second lockdown, the government is...
Any Brexit deal will be sold as a victory for Britons but there won’t be any winners
Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain weighs up the latest on Brexit negotiations. If you’re following the UK/EU Brexit negotiations, you’re probably suffering from a severe case of déjà vu. Over the last days, weeks and months, we’ve heard repeated claims that lose some of...
Why Biden’s victory could have a big impact on Brexit negotiations
Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain believes the change at the helm of US politics will be prove a decisive factor in the UK’s willingness to compromise over a Brexit deal. You have probably noticed that America is soon to have a new president. The current White House...
Are Spanish authorities doing enough to avoid another lockdown?
Sue Wilson considers the measures Spain is taking to combat the spread of coronavirus and whether they will be enough to prevent another lockdown.As we approach November 9th, it’s time for Spanish authorities to define their next Covid measures. At present, national...
Bremainers Ask Revisited – Part 4
Bremain asked former Bremainers Ask commentators to give us their thoughts on where we are now, how they see things moving forward and what we pro-Europeans should be focusing on in the future. This is what they had to say. Molly Scott Cato - Former Green Party MEP I...
Do Spain’s new restrictions leave you grateful, upset or just plain confused?
The news that the Spanish government has declared a new state of emergency was greeted with a mixture of emotions by Brits in Spain, writes Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain.Some people were grateful for the efforts by national or regional government to stem the viral...
‘The deadline for Brits in Spain to apply for residency should be extended’
Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain takes a look at the latest calls to safeguard the rights of British citizens living in the EU in the wake of Brexit and how there is still more to be done.With Brexit negotiations randomly on again, off again, it’s rare that the topic of...
‘No one checked on me’: What it’s like travelling between Spain and the UK right now
Initially nervous at the prospect of travelling to the UK from Spain during Covid-19 times Sue Wilson found the lack of checks by British authorities only served to increase her unease. As those of us with family and friends in the UK are aware, travel between Britain...
Nobody should be forced to choose between a dependent in the UK and one in Spain
Sue Wilson analyzes the UK's controversial Immigration Bill and why it's important for Brits in Spain. The British government has recently faced a string of defeats in the House of Lords over its controversial Immigration Bill. Against the backdrop of the Conservative...
Bremainers Ask…. Prof. A.C. Grayling
A.C. Grayling, CBE, MA, DPhil (Oxon), FRSA, FRSL, is the Master of the New College of the Humanities, London, and its Professor of Philosophy. He is also a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. He is the author of over thirty books of philosophy,...
Brexit causes yet more money worries for Brits in Spain
Sue Wilson examines concerns over the news that British banks are cutting off customers living in the EU thanks to Brexit. British citizens across Europe have recently received letters from some of the UK’s biggest banks, advising that their UK-based bank accounts...
Going to Europe next year?
On 18 September, the newly merged Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office launched a public information campaign for post-Brexit travellers to Europe – Going to Europe next year? The campaign is designed to “help British travellers prepare for changes when...
Just when we Brits in Spain believed we could relax and feel secure ……..
Sue Wilson from Bremain in Spain takes a look at the latest developments in Westminster and how it has sent shock waves through the British community in Spain.There have been many days since the Brexit referendum when I’ve felt like I was doing a dance, with...
UK lobs a grenade into Brexit negotiations
Even before the latest threats to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Act 2020 were made public, Britons living in Europe were becoming increasingly nervous about their futures. For those relying on protections afforded us by this ‘deal’, those concerns were heightened...
We live in Spain and our rights are safe in the hands of Spanish authorities
As post-Brexit trade talks stall, it's unsurprising that Brits throughout Europe are again feeling anxious about their futures. But for those in Spain, there is reason to be optimistic, writes Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain. Following the seventh round of Brexit...
Bremainers ask ……. Jonathan Lis
Jonathan read English at the University of Cambridge and then completed a Masters degree in social sciences at the London School of Economics. After a period of teaching – and training to be an actor – he went to work for an MEP at the European Parliament in 2012,...