The People’s Vote

The People’s Vote

Jun 19, 2018 | Campaigns & Events, News

“Good deal or bad deal, it’s definitely a big deal – and that’s why it should be put to a People’s Vote.”

 

The People’s Vote campaign seeks to ensure that the government’s Brexit deal is put before the country in a public vote so that we can decide if a decision that will affect our lives for generations makes the country better or worse off.

A People’s Vote isn’t about reversing Brexit, it’s about a final say on a final deal with Europe.

  • Brexit’s a process, not a single event. It started with a vote, it should end with a vote, too.
  • You don’t sign away the house with one signature. Why shouldn’t the British public have the same right to change their mind?
  • It’s time to unite the country behind what happens next. However you vote the first time, a second vote is about granting consent to a new relationship with Europe.
  • A lot has changed in two years. It’s time to formalise how we proceed and to unite the country after a long, divisive period.

Bremain in Spain Go to the People’s Vote march 23rd June 2018!

Celebrities, politicians from all parties and academics support the #People’s Vote. Here’s just a few!

Read on about the March for the People’s Vote

Can I Brexit-Proof Our Savings, Investments & Pensions?

Can I Brexit-Proof Our Savings, Investments & Pensions?

Jun 17, 2018 | News

Paul Burgin – Financial Journalist

This is not financial advice. My story is not the same as yours …..

Recently, I started asking a simple question: Can I Brexit-proof our family savings, investments and pensions? For millions of EU27 nationals in the UK and the British in the EU, this is about the freedom of movement: the freedom of movement of our money. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. Personal finance unicorns do not exist.   NATIONAL SAVINGS & INVESTMENTS 185,000 savers NS&I savers live in the EU27 – and that’s just those who have registered their non-UK addresses. Between us, we have £780 million in Premium Bonds, other bonds and various accounts. No problems if I want any payments made to an account in the EU or European Economic Area, says NS&I. It does not charge a cross-border fee, but does take a cut from the exchange rate. The bigger the overseas payment, the more NS&I deducts. How much? That changes day by day. NS&I said £1 was worth €1.1169 on 30th May. Transferwise’s exchange rate was £1/€1.140. So I’ll stick with my winnings paid out in the UK, then transfer them myself. On a £1 million Premium Bond win, that’s over €23,000 saved.

BREXIT PROOF: NS&I    Register NS&I accounts online with your non-UK address and apply for the international payment service . NS&I helpline +44 1253 832007. Better exchange rates may be available.
BANK ACCOUNTS I still use my UK bank account, debit and credit cards for those cheap Amazon UK purchases.  But can I still keep the account and cards while resident overseas? Yes say Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Cahoot, Cater Allen, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Ulster Bank. Changing my address to my EU permanent residence is a necessity, they say. Some even let customers make the change online. A bank may want to change the type of account held, however. ‘Packaged’ accounts with fancy benefits typically only apply to UK residents, for example. What’s less clear is whether any current account will still be as useful if I want to transfer money to the eurozone in future. 82 UK payment service providers may have to reapply to join the Single Euro Payment Area if there is no Brexit deal on financial services. Outside SEPA, bank-to-bank transfers to and from the UK may get more expensive.
BREXIT PROOF: BASIC BANK ACCOUNTS No UK account? UK Basic Bank Accounts are open to all EU resident (for now), from the age of 16. No fees, no overdrafts and only a debit card. The Money Advice Service lists the accounts available. Check if you can post or scan in ID documents!
BREXIT PROOF: LOST ACCOUNTS Lost track of an old bank, building society or NS&I account? No worries! The free My Lost Account service can help.
SHARES, EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (ETFs) AND INVESTMENT TRUSTS If they’re listed on the London Stock Exchange, shareholders still get their dividends wherever they are located, says the Association of Investment Companies. ETFs and investment trusts like F&C Investment Trust, the world’s oldest, might be trickier, depending how they were bought. F&C says I would need to notify them of my new address. But there is no issue with continuing to hold an Individual Savings Account or other tax-efficient plan, even though non-UK residents cannot contribute more to their tax-free savings. Other ETF providers, fund platforms and brokers may take a stricter approach. Vanguard, a big ETF and low-cost fund provider, would allow ISAs and Junior ISAs to continue. But non-ISA holdings brought direct from Vanguard may be closed if investors have moved overseas.
BREXIT PROOF: SHARES AND INVESTMENT TRUSTS Shares, ETFs and investment trusts are usually bought via a broker, financial adviser or platform. The Financial Conduct Authority has told these UK firms with EEA clients ‘to prepare for a range of scenarios’. So ask your provider about those preparations.
INVESTMENT FUNDS Investment funds like unit trusts are not the same as investment trusts. Asset managers are based and regulated in one country, but their funds and clients may be elsewhere. They rely on a EU ‘passport’ to care for those cross-border investors. The smart guys, like M&G or Franklin Templeton, are shifting non-UK customers to their operations in Dublin or Luxembourg. Funds domiciled in the UK have an ISIN code ‘GB’. Those from Ireland are ‘IE’ and from Luxembourg ‘LU’. I couldn’t find details on my last statements, so I looked up each fund on Morningstar for free. Every single fund is ‘GB’. My fund supermarket says I can transfer my funds, held in an ISA, to Irish or Luxembourg versions.
BREXIT PROOF: INVESTMENT FUNDS All advisers, fund platforms and investment funds must ensure continuity of service for their non-UK investors. So ask! Point them here, here and here. Don’t accept any waffle.
BREXIT PROOF: INDIVIDUAL SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (ISAs) Never close an ISA, because you lose your tax-free benefits. But you can switch investments within the ISA or transfer to a new ISA provider. The new provider will do the work for you.
STATE PENSIONS State pensions and benefits were included in the Withdrawal Agreement. That should provide some comfort that the ‘Triple Lock’ pension increases should continue for today’s retirees and those who retire in the future. But I’m not counting on that. The Withdrawal Agreement has not been signed yet. In the meantime, I’m getting my National Insurance and State pension details updated.
BREXIT PROOF: STATE PENSIONS Registering on the Government Gateway unlocks online access to tax, National Insurance and pension records. If you previously worked in the UK, the Future Pension Centre calculates what your future State pension might be–online or by phone +44 191 218 3600.
OCCUPATIONAL PENSIONS Big trustee-based schemes like the Civil Service Pension, NHS Pension and certain company pensions come under domestic law, not EU law. So no problem on overseas payments, confirms the team manager at Civil Service Pensions. That’s a relief for my mum. She relies on her Home Office pension and the survivors’ benefits from the Army and MOD Police pensions of her much-missed husband. There are no specific Brexit issues for other workplace schemes, says the Pension Regulator. That’s true, providing the trustees fulfil their fiduciary duties to communicate with scheme members and ensure payments get through, no matter what.
BREXIT PROOF: OCCUPATIONAL PENSIONS Pensions are complicated stuff. It’s best to ask your scheme directly – telephone numbers on their websites or your recent statements. The Pensions Advisory Service is a good place to start for general questions +44 207 932 5780.
PRIVATE PENSIONS Some private, Stakeholder, auto-enrolment and company pensions are different again. They’re a contract between you (or me) and an insurance company. When the scheme is in one country and the member in another, then passporting issues arise–just like for investment funds. 38 million EEA-based policyholders could be affected by the loss of passporting rights, says the Bank of England. It won’t tell me how many of those are pensions. The Association of British Insurers is really worried about this. Its Brexit chief Jonathan Beer says insurers face the “the unacceptable choice between breaking their promise to customers or risk breaking the law”. But what are Mr Beer’s members doing about it? My pension provider has taken the sensible route by using existing EU laws. Aviva, the UK’s largest insurer, will shift all its non-UK policyholders to its base in Ireland. That’s good, yet complex and long-winded. Aviva needs to apply for High Court approval and demonstrate that no customer will be ‘materially affected’. Explanatory letters should be in the post soon, so I have absolutely made sure that Aviva has the right address for me. And I’ll be keeping hold of all the paperwork. I don’t want the Spanish authorities hitting me with a capital gains tax bill for Brexit-proofing my pension.
BREXIT-PROOF: PRIVATE PENSIONS Check with your provider or administrator, hotline numbers are on your last statement. Lost your pension? Try the pension tracing service. +44 191 215 4491
INVESTOR PROTECTION SCHEMES Protection schemes are there for when financial services providers go bust. The UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme has different levels of compensation for bank and savings accounts, and for investments. Most insurance, including some insurance-based pensions, are covered 100%, but not all. That depends on where you live now, when the policy was issued and how. If in doubt, ask your product provider. Defined Benefit pension schemes that have already been rescued by the Pension Protection Fund should be safe, however. A FINAL WORD I repeat: your circumstances will be different from mine. As a minimum, get paperwork up to date and track down lost investments. Ensure your current address is registered, even for the smallest investment or account. If things change, your provider will tell you, but only if it knows where you live. If in doubt, take advice. Check the adviser is authorised to deal with your situation. UK advisers are registered here, but British compensation schemes may not cover you if you are not a UK-resident. Advisers in Spain should be here and Spanish insurance brokers here. I’m deeply suspicious of schemes that promise to unlock or move pensions from one country to another, like Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPs). Benefits may be lost and charges can be high. Tax authorities may not like them much either. HM Revenue and Customs already slaps a 25% tax on certain QROP transfers. And finally, finally…. everything above may apply in reverse too. EU/EEA residents in the UK may want to check on the savings, investments and pensions they hold outside the UK.
The Lords were almost a leaping! Sue Wilson returns to the UK

The Lords were almost a leaping! Sue Wilson returns to the UK

May 13, 2018 | Articles, News

Day 1

My first event on Saturday 5th May was a regional launch event in London for the #PeoplesVote campaign. Launched by the Grassroots Coordinating Group (GCG), the meeting was hosted by Britain for Europe, European Movement & Open Britain, who are all partners in the GCG along with other groups such as Our Future, Our Choice, Scientists for EU & InFacts.

The surprise guest was Seb Dance MEP, who I had met previously in London & Brussels. As always, he gave a passionate speech about why Brexit must be stopped, & how giving the public a say on the final deal is the best way to achieve our goal.

People's Vote Logo

I was chuffed to bits that he gave me a wave & invited me, by name, to ask a question. I asked, “What are the chances of Labour supporting a #PeoplesVote before the Tories do?” Seb replied that Labour were moving in the right direction, with the front bench being very aware of the issue. He & others within the Labour party are constantly applying pressure, especially on the Shadow Cabinet, & are focusing a lot of attention on new, younger members, who are very pro-European. They are also constantly pointing out that the majority of Labour supporters are Remainers.

During the launch we talked about the strategy & the timescales for the campaign, & of course about the forthcoming march in London on the 2nd anniversary of the referendum. I shall be attending in person along with many Bremain in Spain members. We hope that many of you will join us.

Seb Dance at People's Vote Regional Launch

For more information about the campaign & the march, check out the #PeoplesVote website: www.peoples-vote.uk

Sue at Pulse of Europe event High Wycombe

Day 2

My next event was the Pulse of Europe event in High Wycombe, where I assisted on a street stall & gave a short impromptu speech. The High Wycombe branch meet in the town centre every 2 weeks to engage with the public & talk about Brexit. Surrounded by lots of EU flags plus the flags of all 28 EU countries, it was a colourful affair, & the stall was manned by several campaigners from Germany, Italy, France, Scotland & England – a truly European event. We spoke to many Remainers who were happy to receive free flags, badges, leaflets & advice. We didn’t see any Leavers, but maybe they were just avoiding us. Everyone we spoke to was very reassured to know that Brexit is not a done deal, & all were in favour of a #PeoplesVote on the final deal.

You can read more about Pulse of Europe at their website here: pulseofeurope.eu

Day 3

It is always a pleasure to meet up with Elena Remigi of In Limbo – this time it was at her home in Theresa May’s constituency. The preparations for the launch of her second book – In Limbo Too – are going well & it’s only a matter of weeks now before it will be published. This time the stories are all from British citizens living in the EU, & Elena was very grateful to all Bremain in Spain contributors for their moving testimonials.

Sue and Elena Remigi from In Limbo

She will shortly be writing to all contributors to say thank you in person & to update them on progress. I look forward to reading the book very soon – I suspect a box of tissues will be required! Here’s a link to their Facebook Page: Our Brexit Testimonies

Day 4

A trip to London is always very busy as so many of the campaigners that I wish to meet are based there & then, of course, there’s the Palace of Westminster.

Sue and Eloise Todd, CEO Best for Britain

My first visit was to the office of Best for Britain, where I met with the CEO Eloise Todd. I expressed out sincere gratitude for the £500 grant we received from them recently, which will be ring-fenced for the Best for Britain/Bremain in Spain Barnstorm training sessions. Eloise & her team are busy working on their campaign, & will be making a strong case for staying in the EU, not just getting the best Brexit possible. We will be looking to collaborate again further – always a pleasure to work with such a dedicated team.

My second visit was to the new shared offices of the GCG, where I got to meet colleagues from a variety of groups, most especially those we have a direct connection with. As members of Britain for Europe & partners of European Movement, there is always a lot of ground to cover, most of which I did with Tom Bruffato, Chair of Britain for Europe. We talked about the campaign, the march & new data requirements & I collected a supply of #PeoplesVote campaign leaflets.

Sue and Tom Bruffato, Chair Best for Britain

I also met James MacCleary, Campaigns Manager of European Movement & members of Open Britain & Our Future, Our Choice. It is wonderful to see the groups working so closely together for our common goal, & I’m proud of our connection.

Sue and Peter French, Director Reuniting Britain

I had the pleasure of meeting Peter French of Reuniting Britain for lunch. Peter is working on his own big march, scheduled for October 20th, just before parliament are due to vote on the Brexit deal. Peter has invited me to speak at what he hopes will be the biggest march the UK has ever seen – you can expect to hear a lot more about it once the June 23rd march has taken place. Many Bremainers have already booked their flights for this one, including a few Bremain council members.

SODEM Banner with Bremain logo top left

With only 15 minutes to spare before I was due at the House of Lords, I paid a brief visit to SODEM to see Steve Bray & his wonderful new banner, which features our logo amongst many others. It may not have been a long visit, but boy did I time it well! Madeleina Kay (EU Supergirl), Femi (Our Future, Our Choice) & Mike Galsworthy (Scientists for EU) all turned up just after me. I’ve met them all several times before, but it’s always a pleasure, & they always draw a crowd.

Femi, Sue, Steve Bray and Madeleina

My final & most important visit of the day was another visit to the House of Lords, to witness further EU (Withdrawal) amendment debates. Thanks to Baroness Sally Hamwee, I had a ticket for the good seats, & my visit kicked off with me bumping into Lord Heseltine in reception. I asked to shake his hand & thanked him for all he has been doing for the cause.

I stayed for 5 hours, & saw 3 debates & 3 defeats for the Government – 1 minor amendment, then an expected win over whether or not the exit date should be included in the Withdrawal Agreement (no it shouldn’t as it removes any flexibility), then finally, the amendment about EEA/Single Market membership.

Between debates, I spoke to Lord Wallace of Saltaire who I had previously met when we both made speeches in Leeds.

The EEA amendment debate was the longest, the most interesting & certainly the most significant. There were some amazing speeches, especially from Lords Mandelson, Kinnock, Wallace of Saltaire & many others. Labour Lords were expected to obey the whip & abstain, & the amendment was expected to be narrowly defeated. The debate attracted quite a crowd, including from the House of Commons – it was standing room only where I was sat, & close to my seat MPs were watching attentively, including Chuka Umunna, Owen Smith & Chris Leslie. Clearly Labour MPs were very keen to see what Labour peers might do.

When the results were announced, & the government were defeated, it was clear that many Labour Lords had defied the whip (83 in fact), & 17 Conservative Peers had followed suit. The surprise & delight on the faces of the Remain peers was clear to see – a fantastic atmosphere! I took the opportunity to leave at this point (now 8 pm) so was leaving the chamber at the same time as the Lords. I managed to introduce myself to Lord Newby, who recognised the Bremain in Spain name straight away & was happy to stand & chat – he could barely stop smiling. I also spoke to Baroness Ludford, who then continued the conversation on Twitter later saying that it was nice to meet me & that I had just witnessed history in the making – it really felt like it.

I also spoke to Chuka Umunna afterwards who told me he was delighted & was busy tweeting the result.

Baroness Ludford tweet

Day 5

My last day was spent at 2 events in Milton Keynes, organised by the local branch of European Movement. The first was at Milton Keynes College, & was a presentation & series of workshops for a group of teenage students.

There was a panel made up of Lord Adonis, Will Day of Our Future, Our Choice & Madeleina Kay & I helped out with the workshops. The audience of c 50 students was split 70% Remain to 30% Leave (although none had voted in the referendum).

I think we managed to open a few eyes & ears & gave them all some food for thought. Topics covered were tailored to be relevant to the young audience & included education, jobs & travel.

Lord Adonis at European Movement event Milton Keynes College
Will Day OFOC, Lord Adonis, Madeleina Kay

Afterwards the hosts plus Lord Adonis, Will & myself all attended a street stall outside the station to promote the #PeoplesVote campaign & to survey the public on their attitudes to Brexit. Happy to say we reassured a few worried Remainers, & it was agreed by most, regardless of how they voted, that Brexit was not going well. I did survey a couple of Leavers, but they were of the extreme variety, so I didn’t manage to convert anyone. Note to self – must try harder!

Juliet Smith and Lord Adonis at European Movement street event Milton Keynes
Brexitometer at European Movement street event Milton Keynes

Next trip already booked – roll on the #PeoplesVote March on 23rd June.
Please come & join me!

It Matters To Me ….

It Matters To Me ….

May 5, 2018 | Articles, News

In February, we were thrilled that Best for Britain sent Kyle Taylor to host a joint Barnstorm event in Alicante, attended by around fifty members of Bremain in Spain. To date, we have held Bremain Barnstorms in Girona, Torrox, La Herradura and La Linea.

‘What’s a Barnstorm?’ let me tell you – it’s an event where we talk you through practical steps to fight Brexit and the actions you can take.

One of the fundamentals of the Barnstorm is to understand the issues that affect us and to share those with others. We all have our own reasons to fight Brexit, some will be the same and some totally different. We do an exercise called ‘ It matters to me …..’ where, in a short statement, you describe why fighting  Brexit is important to you and on Saturday, April 28, Bremain in Spain members were invited to submit their own statements which we’re happy to share with you below:

 

“It matters to me because I am European. I live in Europe, I work in Europe, I’ll retire in Europe. I want to keep that freedom and I want others to benefit from it too.”

 

“It matters to me because I am European. Freedom of Movement allowed us and our pets to move to Spain 17 years ago. It allows us to work, live and love anywhere in the EU. We love it here in Spain.”

 

 

“It matters to me because my human rights are being removed against my wishes.”

“It matters to me because I AM EUROPEAN. My parents were European immigrants. I was born in the UK, but I have loved having my EU citizenship, giving us all the freedom to travel, work and live within Europe, as I do now.”

 

“It matters to me because I am European, I live in Spain and have French family as well as grandchildren in UK. I would like all my family to be able to live and work in Europe and have the opportunities I have had.”

 

“It matters to me because I have a daughter born in Spain, I have lived here with my Swiss partner 11 years and built a life for myself. No-one should have the right to take that away, including governments!”

“It matters to me because I’ve lived, worked and studied in peace and happiness in various EU countries and only by remaining full EU members can those same freedoms and privileges be preserved for my children and grandchildren.”

“It matters to me because….it matters to so many of YOU…believe me we at Bremain in Spain will continue with all we can to #StopBrexit…… and I know I speak for all my colleagues/friends here.”

 

“It matters to me because …
I AM EUROPEAN”

Spanish group joins campaign for public vote on final Brexit deal

Spanish group joins campaign for public vote on final Brexit deal

Apr 27, 2018 | Articles, News

Bremain in Spain, the anti-Brexit group formed by British residents in this country, joined last weekend’s launch of the PeoplesVote campaign, aimed at securing a public vote on the UK’s final deal for its exit from the EU. Pro-Europe organisations were joined by actor and campaigner Patrick Stewart, comedian Andy Parsons and MPs in London for the event.

Thousands of anti-Brexit campaigners took to the streets around the UK on Saturday to raise awareness and collect signatures to take to politicians. Further events have been planned for the coming months, including a rally in Westminster on 23 June, on the second anniversary of the referendum.

Read the full story in The Sur…

Bremain works with Renew Britain

Bremain works with Renew Britain

Apr 26, 2018 | Articles, News

James Clarke, one of the three ‘principals’ of Renew, a brand new centrist, anti Brexit, pro Remain party has approached Bremain in Spain with a view to understanding more about the issues affecting us as UK citizens residing in the EU. Renew has worked closely with En Marche, President Macron’s new party in France, learning how to grow and evolve quickly as a new political party.
James Clarke from Renew, Elspeth and Rachel
Bremain in Spain is completely non partisan but is always happy to consult with parties with compatible goals. Renew would like to work with Bremain in developing its party policy regarding UK Overseas Citizens. Bremain Council held talks with James and Council member Elspeth Williams had the privilege of meeting James recently in Barcelona along with Bremain member Rachel Playfair. We look forward to developing our relationship with Renew and you can read more about them in the links below: Renew in the Press: https://renewbritain.org/renew-in-the-press/ Also for Spanish interest, Renew in El Pais and Huffington Post Spain: