Lenox

I don't agree with much of what Lee8 says.
Since there are no reliable Spanish figures on the number of Brits living here (especially now that we don't - thanks to Brussels -even need a 'residencia'), the generally accepted figure comes from the British Foreign Office (or, if you prefer, the BBC). It's said to be one million Britons now living in Spain.
If we suppose that each of us spends 500 euros a month to live, that's 500 million euros a month, or 6 billion Euros per annum free to the Spanish economy. Unlike most industry, with profit and cost, here the figure is practically all profit to Spain - less a small number of fish and chip shops, English language newspapers and British pubs. None of whom make much of a dent in Spain's economy. The downside - the odd letter to the town hall complaining about the noise - is a pretty small price to pay.
If we suppose that there are as many Irish, Dutch, Skandis, Germans, Italians, Americans, Aussies and Maltese together as there are Brits, we can figure about 12 billion euros a year being sent over to Spain. A billion euros a month - for nothing. Then, we can add the cars, furnishings and the house purchases, plus some tax - and Spain does pretty well out of it. Blimey, they don't even want to vote, say the Spaniards!
Perhaps - since those million Brits can't leave (who would buy their house?), and the powers-that-be reckon there are enough of us - perhaps now is the time to close the door...

jackytoo

I agree, its certain the coasts would feel the loss of residential tourism. On a local note the large commercial centres such as la cañada and Miramar would close. There is also the knock on effect as almost every spaniard is employed directly or indirectly servicing the foreigners.

twyntub

Does that include the local Mayors and politicians both local and regional? I might have to side with Lee8 on this one...

(ducks for cover...)

Beachcomber

No good blaming the government???

Which party has been in power in Andalucía since the formation of the Junta?

Who is responsible for allowing all of the illegal building and back-handers?

Who then only takes action once an illegal building is purchased by a foreigner?

The PSOE are a joke. Rodriguez (Zapatero) is reviled in the United States and ridiculed by the rest of Europe. The only place he can now strut around playing the big 'I am' is in Latin America where he is just seen as a meal ticket at the expense of the rest of us.

Manuel Chaves considers himself to be the king of Andalucía rather than a shabby elected politician, his cohorts are nothing more than a bunch of crooks and the Junta itself is an elected dictatorship reminiscent of the Mugabe régime in Zimbabwe.

Unless there is change of, at least, the national government in March we may as well all pack up and go home.

Lenox

Go Beachcomber!!
I quite agree!
Luckily for Chaves, and others like him, the European foreigners are not allowed to vote in regional elections (for some reason, ratified by the new European Charter). So we are an easy target..

sarahchirles

The story about the Vera couple is in the Daily Mail today!

gallerie9

Did these people have a licence of occupation ?
I feel so sorry for them.
What redress do they have and is there house the only one that has been demoliished or are ther others

Nige

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...wcostas111.xml
The reporter states:
The couple have been offered three nights in a hotel by the local council and promised compensation. Mrs Prior said: "Quite frankly, until we have the money in our hands we won't believe it."

Lenox

I've had confirmation that the situation in Vera, Almeria has been placed -as an urgent question - on the agenda of the EU Parliament to meet in Strasbourg next week.

twyntub

That will do a lot of good, then. The Valencian government hasn't taken any notice of the EU over LRAU, why should things be any different in this region?

lee8

UUUpppppssss wrong, the IMF and world bank regularly do surveys.

I got my figures there and from the Spanish Banking Authorities.

They reguarly publish there Gross Domestic Product and account for the location of the income generated.

Spainsh economy is runnig at 925 Billion Euros per annum.

You didn`t study economics in school did you, how did you come about 6 billion euros profit again.

Typically British, you missed the few South Americans who make up the largest immigration figures in Spain, they treble those of all the countries you exampled.

Tourism/immigration accounts for 50 Billion euros per annum in Spain.

And thats officially been published by the Spanish govt.

You may not agree, there not my opinion, there published facts.

lee8

Four words

Gil, Munoz, Yague ,Roca.

All PP people better known as Francists, these people have only been outed thanks to Zapatero`s anti Francist party.

These people have been involved in corruption with the Spanish PP govt for decades.

Change takes time and Spain is far more corrupt than any of us UK immigrants have experienced before and it will take time to reestablish a stable turn around, you can`t change the past that easily, especially when there still behind the scenes.

Aznar is as corrupt as Roca who headed Malaya, the rest of Spain is as corrupt, but in Madrid the Francist are still pulling PSOE into line.

Beachcomber

I think you will find they were all members of the GIL party (Grupo Independiente Liberal) not not the Partido Popular.

If you are unable to get this right what credence can we give to the other rubbish that you spout?

Lenox

Who are the 'Francists' you seem so frightened of?
The only minister still in prison, ten years later, is Barrionuevo (PSOE/Felipe Gonzalez)
The Guardia Civil chief from Felipe's time, Luís Roldán - still in prison.
Both for corruption.
There's not much point arguing politics - either you incline towards the right - or you are one of what's left.
I didn't previously mention the South Americans who (excepting the Argentines) are taking money out of Spain rather than bringing it in. So, too, the Eastern Europeans, the 'Sub-Saharans' and the Moroccans. People from the wealthier nations - largely retired - are bringing in the kind of figures I mentioned earlier. 'Tourism', that is 'visitors rather than residents', according to Spanish sources, runs an extra 37,500 million euros (year 2004).
Anyhow - regardless of the figures involved and the massive number of jobs created, we return to the small point of the couple who, having bought and lived in their house quietly in the 'quinto pino', were suddenly ejected by a bulldozer, a judge and an ambitious socialist apparatchik. Personally, I hope they get creamed in Strasbourg.
A small point about Jesús Gil. He was the mayor of Marbella and was - as you hint in your earlier note - extremely corrupt. He issued illegal building licences... put money in his cronies' pockets... stole... scammed... and all things bad. Everyone knew it at the time. Including, of course, the Junta de Andalucía, run - then as now - by Manuel Chaves and his jolly swagmen.

jackytoo

I did say almost every spaniard which I take to infer nearly every.. But yes I would include many of the Mayors who have benefited. To clarify ie. Maybe some haven't/aren't benefiting from the foreign influx but they nearly (almost) all are!