HBG

@MFH and @la mancha:

I don't think the Gibraltar issue would have anything to do with it, it's just a minor annoyance to a proud country, which once, along with the UK shared the world between them. 700 million people speak Spanish and 700 million people speak English, now that's some achievement for relatively small mother nations, thousands of miles away.

But to get back to street level. We've got to learn from history, the future has to be a mystery (sorry), As little as around 70 years ago, the UK led a war against a warrior state on its doorstep and came close to losing it.

It asked Spain for help and didn't get it; Spain came close to joining the warrior nation threatening to take over the UK.

I don't think Spain would hesitate in expelling its foreigners, non- EU members.

la mancha

It will not happen because the Spanish have too much to lose. Look what happened when Russia told them not to send any more foodstuffs; they panicked. Imagine if the UK told Spain the UK will not take any more fruit and veg, wine, groceries i.e olives, olive oil etc. wind turbines, no more building contracts, and they can take back Mango, Santander, Nick Clegg’s wife and all the Spanish working in the UK, and we will expropriate all Spanish owned property in the UK. It won’t happen.

la mancha

Hang on! Nick Clegg’s wife? I wonder if she’ll take him with? Let’s leave!!

jonboy

Spain will do no such thing , they need us desperately! Turkey is in dire trouble, what with Isis on their doorstep. A few more years and Spain maybe worried about a visit from them also. The whole of europe will be only too happy to be in a union to fight off the new threat. If not we will have a new language and religion to contend with!

jonboy

Let us hope the Original Poster does not turn up as he won't recognise his own thread

HBG

The original poster asked what we think would happen should the UK leave the EU and there has been a discussion on the topic, like many others before, all over expatland by expats who would be directly affected should it happen.

Personally, I'm not too bothered. I will probably be one of the 70% of expats who eventually return home. I've had a good run in Spain, over many years, and love the place to bits, but for the past six years or so that love has diminished quite a bit, for many reasons other than just getting fed up with too much sun and stupid tax laws. And I can live without those grumpy civil servants who you need to stamp your daft papers here in Spain.

I walked out of the padron office last year and vowed never to return even if they put me in chains to deport me for having an out of date padron.

But I had many years in paradise, and only made possible because of the UK's membership of the EU, it would not have been possible otherwise.

(I suspect I secretly wish the UK votes to come out of the EU, I can then get back on the Santander ferry with my wife and dogs with a clear conscience to exit paradise).

Fredbargate

There were many Brits in Spain before they joined the EU, myself included.

amideislas

If the UK left the EU, it won't be all that different for existing UK residents of Spain. They won't just "throw you out". Some changes in taxation policy and paperwork may be in order, but not much else.

Getting residence afterwards would likely be trickier, but not impossible. The UK isn't a shengen area member anyway, so that wouldn't change much.

Besides, Spain has pretty good trade with the UK. I doubt Spain would be all that inclined to burn bridges completely. Might even consider leaving too.

Don't listen to the rhetoric. It's always exaggerated.

VFR

Why do the Spanish government bother ?
Surely they know that the UK will never bow to a hand over while the "vast" bulk of those living there wish to remain part of the UK.
The way to do it is to persuade those living there that they would be better off joining with Spain & of course that will take cast iron assurances / some degree of self autonomy / clear benefits etc etc.

I wonder how Spain would react if Morocco started the same games over there ?

Fredbargate

If this is a reference to Gibraltar remember the Spanish closed the frontier in 1969 after many years of restrictions. It was only reopened in 1985 due to Spains desire to join the EU and after a very few years of reasonable relations the situation has declined yet again.

Therefore how many generations of good behavior by Spain do you think it will take for us Gibraltarians to have any trust in the Spanish, let alone a desire to join them?

EMR

No another Gib thread.

It is all conjecture the UK will not leave the EU, it will re negotiate its membership but the costs to both the EU and UK of an exit are too great for either to seriously consider.

HBG

I have a special interest in Clacton because I used to own a caravan there and had many a happy holiday there with my children growing up and playing in the meagre sands at the beaches.

Tomorrow the people of Clacton are going to give us some idea of how the EU referendum in 2017 will go. Essex (Basildon man) has long been used as an example of ordinary British opinion to decide election results.

If they vote UKIP, I'll be surprised and disappointed, but it could easily happen. That's democracy for you, the choice between the Bullingdon club and a Labour leader who can't eat a bacon sandwich.

Me79

lol I blink and it all kicks off ! Thank you for your comments everyone.

VFR

Opps! posted in the wrong thread.

Fredbargate