Will Rishi Sunak Do Anything to Improve the Life of British Ex Pats in Spain? - Page 4

As Prime Ministers go in the UK I think Liz Truss will be a good one not only for the UK but for the EU also. She's a tough cookie and I'm sure she will represent the UK well and do what is best for the UK. That's her job now as against her previous posts.

Reading the quality newspapers yesterday most articles were favourable towards Liz Truss. The exchange of words re Nicola Sturgeon etc were side lined and put down to mere vote catching/attention seeking words. 

The job as PM of the UK is not an easy one. Truss doesn't have a hard act to follow (Johnson was good for Johnson) but certainly she'll have to increase her performance. I wish her well. 

I hope Andymac somehow manages his CdA Stress and stays around here!

The challenge she faces Matthew is that she enters the job being the second favourite, and supported only by a cabal that saw no reason to change in the first place; she didn't command the support of the majority of MP's and only won support of the party members through the narrowest margin since this method of selecting a leader was introduced.

She is not well regarded for her ability to reason - she is not held to be intelligent (brighter than Nadine Dorries, but that's not saying much)

I've become a labour supporter in my later years, as I've grown closer to nature, gained a social conscience and seen the havoc that 13 years of tory (mis)rule have wrought, and seen the staggering corruption of the last administration that was breathtaking in its depth, scope and overtness.  As such, I cannot bring myself to support Truss.  She sees herself as a another Maggie Thatcher, and whilst in the 80s I was given to think that was what the country needed, I don't think the country needs another Thatcher now.  It needs someone sane, sensible and steady that can guide it from the ruinous policies of the past decade.

Is Liz Truss that person?  I don't think so as she tends to flip-flop to whatever is the populist view - quite unlike Margaret Thatcher who was not known as the Iron Lady for nothing.  She had an indomitable iron will that she exercised.  Truss does not have that will, she appears to simply pander to whatever she thinks is popular (therefore making her popular)  She is like the former leader in that respect.  We can only hope she has a stronger and more reliable moral compass than him and can indeed guide the country out of the recession that the Reserve Bank says it is already heading into.

With energy bills the hot topic, capping them at GBP 2.500 as she promises will not win her a lot of friends - either amongst her own back bench who oppose the cap or amongst householders who are already stretched.  Her promise to overturn the ban on fracking may also yet anger a great many (as well as putting her on the wrong side of a new King who is known for his green views).

She promises to lead the Tories to victory in 2024, ruling out an early election.  With Johnson still hovering in the wings and there still being support for his brand of corruption among a group of MPs, it remains to be seen whether she will actually last that long.

I suspect not, but ... we'll see.

My comment was aimed at a response to your post, not particularly your post.

It went off at a tangent and went on and on and...

You get the drift.

It is not down to her to improve the lifes of Brits in Spain. That can only be done by the Spanish governement if they should choose to do so.

Valentina, This is where you are wrong (I say that with respect). Many Brit expats in Spain have found themselves into some sort of Limbo because of Brexit. Many Brits have toed the line and confirmed their "Spanish" status prior to the umbilical cord being severed. But, there are people who somehow have found themselves to be outside of the "safety" net and new expats find themselves having to jump through more hoops. It is not entirely within the Spanish government to make life easier for expats and the British government must play its role too. The Driving Licence issue is one such subject needing attention from both governments. I bet some Spanish nationals have some difficulties in the UK, so  tit-for-tat arrangements are there to be made. Some British car owners in Spain who for some reason or other have not acquired Spanish car registration plates may soon get the "get your car registered in Spain now" hint shortly. Also, there might be a forgiveness period for expat Brits to get their Spanish affairs in order.

There are several other issues too. I don't need to mention them as highlighting them would serve no useful purpose to expats.

But, there is nothing unresolvable and it will take Spanish and British governments to work in tandem.

Getting back to Liz Truss. I don't think she is beyond assisting British expats in Spain. The BBC and ITV don't have a month without some expat giving interviews on the plight of the "We who always supported the Tories" domiciled Brit in the Costas. The wheels of governments are turning slowly, but turning, at least. 

We'd all like to have them speeded up, but I'd rather favourable decisions later than negative decisions now.

I don’t see Liz Truss as anything other than a puppet manipulated by Jacob Rees Mogg and his European Reform Group cronies who have already feathered their nest well from Brexit. She is a Margaret Thatcher wannabe who will not have the strength to challenge the hard right of her party - Hopefully she’ll be so bad that there might be a change of government but then I’m not sure if Starmer is up to the task either and Labour is as divided as the Tories.

Could end up with Trump and Johnson again in 2024 - hopefully not

Airtaine…when you say “…she has England rejoin the EU…” are you suggesting it would do so as an independent country- ie., after Scottish (and possibly Welsh) independence and Irish reunification?

Yes she will give us free tomatoe ketchup and ask the Spanish to build more fish and chip shops

I would not hold your breath on any of those things happening soon, do not know how old you are but probably not in your or my lifetime.

On the subject of NI, it looks like the EU has blinked first, I see that they are saying that, as a compromise and to save face, no more than a couple of vehicles will be checked evey day, which is probably less than the normal customs checks  before Brexit.