Referendum and Representation

Below is a mission statement which we have agreed this week. We are circulating it as widely as possible to determine who wishes to be involved (just supporting) the idea. Please read share forward to anyone you know who may consider it worthwhile as we are trying to build a database of expats from which we can organise a voice.

Can we, as ex-pats, find someone to speak for us - whether in Madrid, or London or in Brussels? We need security and a promise. This is the simple idea which was discussed in a meeting in Almería (Southern Spain) this week, in reaction to the referendum news from the UK. 

While no one knows (or evidently cares) how many ex-pat Britons there are living in Spain – anywhere from 270,000 to 800,000 (quite a variance) –  the reality is that we as a large group have absolutely no ‘say’ in our political future, because we have no representation, no agency, no office, no spokesperson and no defender of our own situation. 

No one can be more in favour of Europe than an expatriate, yet we are not represented.

We are, in fact, larger still: there are an estimated 1,500,000 Britons living in Europe (or perhaps two million – no one knows). We all need protection. 

Larger yet, there are thought to be twenty million Europeans living in another EU country. Who speaks for them? If we were to organise as 'ex-pats', it would be as ex-pats Europe-wide, all those Europeans who live in another country and have no representation in Brussels. (A bit ambitious, but that's where we need to be looking). We need to have a voice in Brussels – and a valid European passport or identity card. Then we will be safe from maverick politicians and racial division.

So let us start now, before the recent politics of the UK can breach our safety and our comfort. To begin, we will need a list of supporters’ names, with their email address, local town, province and country. 

With a thousand names, we will begin our journey to Brussels. 

Our Email is: andyjimlenox@gmail.com : please write to introduce yourself.

Andrew Mortimer, Jim Simpson and Lenox Napier