Westminster sources have told the Bulletin that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is not expected to address the 90-day rule as part of his attempt to reset UK relations with the European Union. They have said that it will have to be left to Spain which could follow the example being set by France which is working on resolving the problem for British second home owners and residents.
“Considering he’s slashed winter fuel payments for pensioners, he’s hardly going to start helping Britons who can afford second home overseas. It goes against what the Labour Party stands for,” the sources told the Bulletin. Spain has previously hinted at looking at the problem but since then little or no mention has been made of the impact of the 90-day rule on Britons and the Spanish economy, not to mention the real estate sector.
In France, Philippe Lottiaux (Rassemblement National) is calling for action to help the homeowners in view of the fact that an article creating an automatic long-stay visa right for UK-resident Britons with French second homes was passed by both houses of parliament last year after winning wide cross-party support from French MPs and senators. It was later removed on a technicality.
The ‘automatic visa’ idea aimed to allow these Britons to spend up to half of the year with minimal or no formalities. It originated from an amendment by Senator Martine Berthet (Les Républicains, Savoie), who proposed the Britons should be able to come and go at the border by showing proof of nationality and home ownership, or by obtaining a simple document to show their status, valid for several years or indefinitely.
And it has been made clear that any such deals could be made unilaterally by interested EU countries without clearing it with Brussels. But in the light of the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s bombshell that non-resident property buyers could be hit with a 100 percent tax he also looks unlikely to help Britons looking to buy second homes in Spain.
Keir Starmer promised voters a big Brexit reset. This week, Britain’s prime minister will have to decide just how big. British negotiators are sitting down for a week of intensive talks with their EU counterparts as they prepare for the looming May 19 Brexit summit in London. Their goal is to break what one EU official described as a “deadlock” on key issues ahead of Starmer’s big foreign policy set piece but the 90-day rule is not expected to be included.