It all comes down to cash, I am afraid. Tourists now have to pay a tax for coming here on holiday and British citizens who want to live here and enjoy the same benefits as they do at the moment once Britain has left the European Union may have to pay a levy to Brussels. Thanks! Now I will have to pay for the privilege of paying tax in Spain without the need for a work permit under the latest brainwave from the European Union.
Of course we do enjoy benefits in Spain thanks to Britain's soon-to-be-terminated membership of the European Union. One of the most important is being able to work without the need of a work permit. Anyone who has lived on this island long enough will tell you that it was no easy process to secure a work permit back in the dark days of pre-Maastricht Treaty Spain. I know many British citizens living on the island who are in the process of taking out Spanish citizenship because they want to retain their European Union way of life, and you can't blame them.
As always no one thought about what could happen to British citizens living abroad when the referendum was first announced. We are the forgotten millions who have no say. I suppose I could be convinced to pay the surcharge to Brussels unless we are talking an enormous sum. But it does seem rather horrid that we have to pay to stay in Europe. You can imagine what some of the British tabloids are going to make of the story: "my grandfather fought in the Second World War to liberate Europe and now we have to pay to stay in Europe."
As I have said in this space on countless occasions I think Britain should have a rethink on its membership of the European Union. The British public deserve better than the half truths and lies they were told by both sides during the European referendum campaign. I am not saying that the European Union is perfect but it is better to be part of a club rather than a solo player.