Keeping us informed

Their chief complaint was that they had been left in the dark by the British government and they were unsure how the European Union withdrawal would affect them.

I wouldn´t say that we have been left in the dark; in fact I would say that the British Embassy in Madrid and the Consular network has done an excellent job keeping expats informed of the Brexit implications and what they should do.

Their advice from the start; get your paperwork in order and ensure that you are registered with the Spanish authorities is still very valid today. I would also say that they had a very difficult task.

There were many questions and few answers but still they tried to ease the fears of British expats. Spain has signalled that it will protect the rights of British expats but so far the British government hasn´t said it would do the same for Spanish citizens living in Britain.

I sincerely doubt that the Spanish government is going to make life difficult for British residents and tourists in Spain but obviously Spaniards must receive the same treatment in Britain. I would say, though, that the people who have felt the early implications of Brexit are British expats.

The value of a state British pension has fallen by about 20 percent against the euro and the uncertainty has caused much concern. The irony is that we could even vote in the referendum.