In
introducing the so-called Great Repeal Bill in the House of Commons
last week, the UK’s chief negotiator in Brussels, David Davies,
said the intention of the bill was to ensure “a calm and
orderly exit” from the EU.
Only
Big Ben remained quiet. It has been silenced for extensive
repair work. But politicians of all stripes erupted furiously in a
howling debate that heard the Great Repeal Bill denounced as a
government “power grab.” The Independent
newspaper warned that the bill was no less
than a major “threat to democracy.”
The bill, which would incorporate relevant EU law into
the British legal system, has also been described as an “astonishing
monstrosity.”
Nevertheless, a majority accepted it in a midnight
parliamantary vote. That’s not the end of the battle, however.
Plenty more fierce argument over the bill lies ahead.
Calm
and order have been noticeably absent since the outpouring of lies
and distortion during last year’s referendum campaign, through the
parliamentary political turmoil that followed, and on to the
belligerent divorce proceedings now underway in Brussels.
Last
weekend saw the start of the anti-Brexit “autumn of
discontent.” Protest groups are demanding a rejection of the
referendum vote.
Instead
of feeling calm, British nationals living in Portugal and other EU
countries can be excused for feeling rather anxious or
angry, befuddled or just plain fed up with the pro-Brexit efforts
“to make Britain great again.”
Unfortunately,
it’s impossible to get an accurate picture of what
British expats in Portugal really think. For starters, it’s
unknown how many of them are living here. Many remain
unregistered, though there has been a scramble to apply for
Portuguese residential permits to give a measure of security amid the
mess unleashed by “the will of the people” back home.
Recent
reports claim hundreds of thousands of retired Britons in Europe who
cannot afford private healthcare abroad may be forced to
return to the UK unless the government guarantees their healthcare
will continue to be reimbursed by the NHS.
It has
been pointed out, however, that returning pensioners would be a
drain on the NHS and the UK housing market as well.
Other reports have revealed a surge in the number of
British pensioners wanting to move out of the UK and settle in
Portugal, Spain or France, fearing the imposition
of life-changing restrictions when the UK leaves the EU.
Concern among established British residents extends to
those contemplating moving here permanently, as well as
holidaymakers.
The
pound has continued to plummet against the euro and more pressure is
forecast, at least in the short-term. Analysts say sterling is
heading for parity with the euro for the first time in the single
currency’s 18-year history.
The
exchange rate has prompted many would-be property buyers in Portugal
to adopt a “wait and see” attitude. On the other hand, as Kerstin
Buechner, director of QP Savills, specialalising in in the up-market
Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo areas of the Algarve, has told us:
“The loss in the value of the pound is stimulating our vendors
(almost 100% of them) to reinvest in the local market as opposed to
taking the funds back to the UK. This has most certainly contributed
to our impressive sales volume this year of over €100 million,
which has exceeded all our expectations.”
Many
tourists have stayed at home despite the appalling weather in Britain
this summer. Fortunately for Portugal, the big decline in British
visitors has been offset by a significant increase in other
nationals.
Many
of the Brits who have spent their holidays in the Algarve this
summer have been economising by buying more groceries in supermarkets
and dining out less in restaurants.
Among
long-term expats, there is still smouldering outrage that those who
had lived here for more than 15 years were denied the
right to vote in what turned out to be a close-run referendum.
Ardent
pro-EU expats here are in touch with protest groups across the
continent about what might be done to come up with a better solution
than Brexit.
At
the other end of the spectrum, some expats are contemptuous of the
European Union. Yet it seems that many of these
ardent Brexiteers want to continue living out here in the
sun.
What
lies ahead is as much a mystery now as it was during the referendum.
It can still only be guessed at. Brexit may be disastrous
for both the UK and the EU, or it may indeed help make Britain great
again.
Meanwhile,
for the UK and EU expats being used as “bargaining chips,” there
is still no sign of agreement on their future rights, let alone
getting to grips with the fiendishly complex matter of
trade relations.
Instead of ensuring calm and order, all this
Brexit baloney looks like bungling on and on and causing yet
more chaos.
It
may or may not be sorted by the time Big Ben strikes again - and
that's not scheduled until 2021.
