Editorial: Foreign legion moves

IS the British and German love affair with Majorca in decline? I ask this question because according to the latest census the number of British residents in the islands has fallen from  23,808 people in 2012 to just 18,232 in 2014. The German expat population has decreased even further  from 36,758 in 2012 to just 23,511 in 2014.  Now, I know sometimes official figures in Spain  are not reliable but I do know for a fact that quite a sizeable number of British residents have left and returned to Britain or have moved to the mainland. The lack of jobs, the fall in value of sterling against the euro and the fact that the island is no longer cheap, have been blamed for the fall. Also, I have heard that some foreigners have  asked to be removed from the official census in an effort to escape paying tax. Whatever the reasons for the drop I suspect that once the green shoots of recovery start growing again the foreign population will rise again. Majorca is a fantastic place and we are lucky to live here but it does have its drawbacks. When my parents moved to the island it was a cheap place to live and in some ways it was a land of opportunity.  Tourism was just starting to prosper and the pound sterling was king. Fast forward to 40 years later and you find that the pound is weak against the euro and there are not many job opportunities.  The local government should look at their own official figures and admit that all is not well in paradise despite  all the official explanations.