The EU referendum is hitting the British expat community on the island. I am quite amazed how it has become such an important talking point. Everyone is obviously concerned: how will our lives change in Britain leaves is the chief concern on everyone's lips. Will we need to take out new residency certificates? Will we need work permits? Will free health care still remain? The list goes on. In addition, the political and financial instability has meant that big investors are putting their plans on hold to see what happens.
As I have said in this space on numerous occasions, I sincerely believe that Britain will vote to stay by a relatively large margin (60-40), but the whole exercise has done plenty of damage. The value of sterling against the euro has fallen dramatically, which means that tourists will have less money to spend on holiday on the island. It could also be argued that the referendum has dented Britain's economic revival.
I suspect that once the referendum has taken place, with the most likely vote being "Stay", things will start to change again. The pound will rally and the political and economic uncertainty will end. But just imagine for a minute if Britain votes to leave. We would be facing a nightmare scenario with more political uncertainty and more worries. The sooner this issue is settled once and for all, the better for everyone.