A deal between Britain and Spain over British driving licences is "close" with informed sources telling Bulletin Online that the issue will be resolved "satisfactorily for all". The British ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, was quoted as saying that plenty of "behind the scenes negotiations" were taking place. In a video message he apologised for the length of time the whole process was taking.
As we reported yesterday, the driving licence deal could be tied to an agreement over Gibraltar and a wider deal over the rights of expat Britons in Spain.
The licence issue is causing serious problems for thousands of British expats. The Spanish government did introduce "grace" periods in which Britons could exchange their licence, although some were unable to register in time and are therefore still very much in the "slow lane". They have rightly taken to social media to vent their frustrations over the situation. Others have decided to retake their driving test in Spain, which is a costly operation.
The Spanish government has said that it wants good relations with the new British government of Liz Truss and talks are ongoing. Spain is home to 400,000 British citizens, with a similar number of Spaniards living the UK.