It was meant to reduce red tape...rather than add to it but a report yesterday from the Public Accounts Committee said that Brexit had made trade more expensive and there was a danger of delays at borders. Even in Mallorca there is more red tape now and it has affected our daily lives.
The 90 day rule will have a real impact once travel returns to pre-pandemic levels, postage and shipping items to the United Kingdom is now more expensive. Infact, the postage on a gift from the UK to Mallorca actually cost more than the present in one case which was related to me recently. There are fears of delays at Spanish airports as passports will be scrutinised. I am also told that British-made products are in short supply on the island because of red tape.
All-in-all it is not an encouraging situation and my biggest fear is that more “Brexit woes” will come out of the woodwork once travel returns to normal. This is not “Project Fear” this is a reality. Infact, Brexit has done little or nothing or quite the reverse for Brits living in Europe. I know that we get little sympathy in Britain but expat Brits are those who are paying for Brexit at the moment despite the fact that we didn’t even get to vote.
I sincerely hope that someone, sooner rather than later, will see the light and bring some common sense to the Brexit situation. The British people voted for it but they didn’t vote for more red tape and delays and costs.