l
Dear Sir,
I am not a UKIP supporter, but thought Frank Leavers piece was an insult to Majorca’s British expat community and ill-informed of the reality facing the EU, which accounted for the backlash against establishment parties across most of Europe in Sunday’s elections.
UKIP was the means British voters used to bash their out-of-touch political class and the arrogant, undemocratic EU. But even here, where there is no equivalent to Nigel Farage, I note that Spaniards also failed to back their two mainstream parties, the PP Conservatives and Socialist PSOE for the same reasons.
But, based mainly on the views of some oaf in a bar, for Mr. Leavers to accuse British expats in Majorca of being UKIP fans is a gross injustice to the majority, who, like a majority of people in the UK, do not wish to see our country leave the EU.
Mr. Leavers also ignores the need for a radical shake-up of the EU and for its leaders to pay greater regard to the feelings of its many dissatisfied citizens.
Instead he warns expats here that if they support UKIP and the party comes to power, they will be ‘packing a large bag back to Blighty in double quick time.’
What nonsense. Britons have lived in Majorca decades before the EU came into being and, in the unlikely event of Farage becoming Britain’s Prime Minister, I would confidently guess we will continue to do so, much the same as Swiss and Norwegian nationals can, even if their countries are not members of the EU.
Mr. Leavers also condemns British expats for being ‘monoglots’ (presumably he is a fluent Spanish speaker), but overlooks how a majority of us expats are not economic immigrants here, but pensionistas, without whose regular inflow of cash the Majorcan economy would be in direr financial straights than it already is.
Finally, your columnist might reflect on the fate of 250,000 Spaniards, not to say 500,000 French and countless other non-British EU Nationals, working in the UK.
Does he think Spain and their various homelands will be happy to see a floodtide of job-seekers returning when unemployment is at record levels?
Yours truly,
W.J.L. Perry, Bendinat
PS: Jason Moore says he wishes there was a pro-European group (in Britain) to counterbalance UKIP. There is and it is called the Liberal Democrats and he should need no reminding of what happened to them last Thursday and again on Sunday.
l
Dear Editor
I am now 74 years old and during my life I have encountered many "Nigel Farage bar room politicians", all telling us how they could run the country and the world.
The questions that have never been mentioned in UKIP’s manifesto and seems never to have been asked of him is " what next?", "where do we actually trade with the world?".
Europe will not want to trade with Britain because of the Treaty of Rome and the Commonwealth will not trade with us because Britain turned its back on it and it has now found new markets to replace us.
Britain is left with America who only purchased luxury goods from us even before the EU just to keep us happy as the USA are mostly self sufficient in most things.
Or, we will have to try to trade with the East which already has a controlling interest in Britain, Europe and the USA.
Is Nigel Farage that stupid to think that he can alter all this by leaving Europe. I think not!
Yours sincerely
C Crane
Palma de Majorca