Episode 1 – The key events and the chronology of Brexit.
Our Chair, Sue Wilson, was interviewed recently for the first in a series of podcasts. Topics covered included:
Bremain’s Brexit journey
The causes and effects of the Referendum
Where we stand now and what the future holds.
You can listen to the interview here, from 71 minutes in.
Despite problems of supply, Spain is determined to stick to its current strategy of vaccination, prioritising second doses over first, unlike the UK. Columnist Sue Wilson explains why she believes that’s a good thing.
Based on recent arguments between the UK and the EU over vaccine supplies, nationalism has reared its ugly head again. The UK media focused on the EU’s threat to invoke Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol and barely mentioned that prime minister, Boris Johnson, had threatened to do the same, in parliament, two weeks previously.
Thankfully, the EU’s mistake was quickly recognised, publicly acknowledged, and reversed. As a result, the EU is now promised supplies from UK factories, to arrive in the first quarter of this year. The irony is lost on Brexiters that the EU threatened the NI border for just five hours, while the UK did the same for five years.
Vaccine supply is an issue for many countries, although less so for the UK. Having approved the use of various vaccines ahead of other countries, the UK was early to sign contracts with vaccine producers. As a result, the UK has rolled out its vaccination programme at a staggering – and for once, actually “world-beating” – pace.
Last weekend, a record-breaking 600,000 people were vaccinated across the UK. This was a phenomenal achievement by any standard, and is thanks to the incredible dedication, planning and hard work of the NHS. I cannot help thinking: how many lives would have been saved by giving the NHS the contracts for other programmes, such as test and trace, rather than handing them to private companies with ties to the Conservative party, and no relevant experience.
Based on announcements about the vaccination programme in Spain, and being in Group 4, I anticipated receiving my first jab around Easter, the second dose by the end of April, and to be immune by the end of May. Although I’m disappointed by the delay, I’m relieved to hear that cancellations for appointments related to supply problems are for the first dose, and not the second.
While the UK boasts about its vaccination rollout, it doesn’t mention those people who are awaiting their second jab. The UK has made a strategic decision to delay the second vaccination for up to 12 weeks, going against scientific advice. The vaccine producers have recommended that the second vaccine is ideally delivered three weeks after the first. Although some leeway exists, it is recommended not to exceed 42 days between doses.
The UK government has unilaterally decided that doubling that time to 84 days is acceptable, safe, and effective, minus any scientific evidence. Every UK care home resident has now been offered their first vaccination, but many have had their second vaccination appointment postponed until further notice – including my elderly mother.
If we consider the picture re first and second doses, on January 30th, the UK had vaccinated 0.72% of the population with their two doses. On January 28th, Spain was close behind, with 0.54% of the population having received a second dose.
You can read the full article over at The Local.
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:
You can help by getting personally involved & staying informed. Whether it’s by attending an online event, signing a petition, writing to your MP or supporting a campaign, there are plenty of ways to do your bit. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Thank you for your continued support & trust. Any help will be gratefully received!
Sue Wilson – Chair
The 3 Million are holding an online event on 4 February at 19.00 CET – The rights & wrongs for the rights of EU citizens in the UK in 2021 will feature a number of speakers, to be announced shortly.
Register to attend here.
Unhappy about the thin trade deal with the EU? Contact your MP & demand they build on the deal.
Use Best for Britain’s ‘Hey MP!’ app to email or tweet your MP – just enter your postcode & let the app do all the work for you.
Click here to start the process.
European Movement UK are calling on Jacob Rees-Mogg to reverse the recent decision to abolish the HOC Brexit Select Committee.
Help them send a message that Brexit scrutiny must continue & that parliament must be able to hold the government to account.
Sign the petition here, then please share.
March for Change are asking the Prime Minister and the leaders of UK political parties to commit to a Public Enquiry into the UK’s response to the Coronavirus Outbreak.
The UK public deserves answers as to the UK’s appalling death rate, problems with testing & issues with PPE supply for the NHS.
Sign the petition here.
UKPEN – who work very closely with Grassroots for Europe – have put together a re-join register.
The aim is to build a comprehensive list of supporters wishing to re-join the EU asap.
Sign up here.
New Europeans are encouraging citizens of Europe to unite in solidarity to declare our commitment to peace, freedom & democracy.
Add your name to the Declaration of Solidarity between Europeans by signing here.
The British Embassy in Madrid have been keeping us regularly updated will all the latest news & issues affecting the lives of Brits in Spain.
For all the latest information on your rights & responsibilities, check-in regularly to our dedicated web-page here.
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. The same could be said of Brexit, but we knew it was looming and had some idea what to expect. We never saw Covid coming.
It’s over a year since reports of a dangerous virus first emerged from China. The world watched but took differing views of the level of danger or how to combat the spread. Over time, we watched in horror as the pandemic took hold, especially when it came closer to home. When we saw the devastating scenes from Italy – the death toll and overstretched hospitals – it began to feel very real and very scary.
With mixed emotions, we adapted to the strict safety measures introduced by the Spanish authorities. At first, those measures seemed heavy-handed. However, when compared to Britain’s less stringent approach, we started to believe that stronger measures were a necessary evil. Even when the UK eventually imposed a full “lockdown”, many of us in Spain suggested it was nothing of the kind. While we were prohibited even from taking a walk, Brits back home were exercising their right to, well, exercise!
The way we feel about Covid measures – and the actual virus – varies person to person. Our concerns may be based on a number of factors, including our age and our general outlook. Being shut indoors for weeks on end feels different to an introvert than to an extrovert. Being at home with your family is attractive to some yet stressful to others, particularly those with young children.
Lockdown measures worried many professionals working in mental health and domestic violence services. Being forced to stay indoors was sure to have a negative impact, especially on the most vulnerable in society.
The decisions being made by governments all over the world have attracted considerable scrutiny. They are making decisions we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemy, and unsurprisingly, there have been many mistakes. On the whole, the public have been reasonably forgiving when mistakes have been made – this is, after all, a new and devastating virus, and we are all learning how best to deal with it. What is unforgiveable is to witness governments – the UK in particular – repeating the same mistakes over and over and shirking any responsibility for their actions. Rather, it’s never their fault – it’s usually the fault of the British public.
You can read the article in full over at The Local.
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.
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.
Conservative MP, Tobias Ellwood said:
“This is simply petty. Biden commits to strengthening alliances and we engage in silly spats which will not help strengthen security and trade cooperation. We are better than this”.
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.
