Thanks!

If you read the newspaper headlines it is a make-or-break moment for Britain and Europe. Britain's place in Europe is under discussion across Europe, even in the bars in Palma. A momentous moment in British and European history. A European Union heavyweight could leave this great Band of Brothers. Exciting times and everyone has an opinion, but only a small number in Spain can have any real say. You can safely say that at least half of the 800,000 British expats living in Spain will not be able to vote in the referendum, if and when it is called by Prime Minister David Cameron. These are all people who have lived abroad and know the delights and pitfalls of the European Union. But as usual the British government maintains a little islander mentality. You can only vote if you have lived outside Britain for less than fifteen years. I can be made to understand why long-term expats can't vote in British general elections but surely they should be able to vote on an issue which could have a major affect on the country which they call home. The people who will be most affected by a British withdrawal from the European Union will be British expats (yes us!). Our whole life could change and we can't have  a say. So we will have to watch this great moment of European history from the sidelines. The British European dream could be coming to an end, but for us it could become a bit of a nightmare. But who cares we can't vote anyhow.