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Brexit may be "done" but there is still plenty of work for Bremain to do. Over the coming months we will be working on a number of campaigns to: hold the UK government to account ensure a close relationship with the EU protect our rights as British citizens in Europe...
Has Covid changed the way we live our lives in Spain forever?
It's been a year since the pandemic began to take hold in Spain. Sue Wilson from Bremain in Spain considers how it has marked the way we live our lives and how it changes our hopes for the future. No matter where you live or what you do, Covid has changed our lives....
Biden gives the world hope
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...
Britons in Spain will need to get used to life without Cheddar
Brexit means it will be difficult to source our favourite Cheddar, writes cheese-addict Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain. As Brits across Europe adjust to a new, post-Brexit reality, the consequences of leaving the EU are gradually revealing themselves to the British...
Renew’s campaign for EU Citizenship for Brits in EU 27
UPDATE 25 JANUARY 2021: Terry, Julien and the team now have over 400 supporters signed up to back this campaign. The more supporters to sign up with give more weight to both cases so please consider submitting your details. Read on to see how you can help.Bremain in...
El adiós del Reino Unido de la Unión Europea – Postfactual Interview
Bremain member Greg Hunt was recently interviewed about the UK's exit from the European Union by Celia Rivas Lopez, Political Editor in Chief for Postfactual, a new journal in Spain. Postfactual describes its purpose as follows: "Because we believe it is necessary to...
How Brexit is delivering unpleasant surprises for Brits in Spain
Already a week into the New Year, Sue Wilson considers that aside from the large-scale losses brought by Brexit - freedom to live and work across the EU - it's the smaller losses that are now causing concern. Last week, as we bid goodbye to the worst year most of us...
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...