Appeal for expat MPs
Voted BEST expat paper in Spain
EXCLUSIVE
A MEMBER of the House of Lords is demanding constituencies for expats living in Spain. Peer Paul Tyler, who served as a Lib Dem MP until 2005, wants all disenfranchised Britons living in the EU to have their own MPs. In a similar arrangement that exists for French and Italian expats, Tyler believes that it is fairer than expats having a vote in their UK constituencies. In a letter sent to expat rights campaigner Brian Cave, Tyler wrote: “Expatriate constituencies is the only rational solution. “Put yourself in the shoes of the MP; faced with the problems, concerns and special interests of 75,000 constituents how many will give appropriate attention to a few dozen voters living hundreds of miles away?”
Pressure
The move comes as it was revealed former UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s promise to extend voting rights to expats has been blocked. The move is allegedly seen as too complicated with few UK constituencies having records going back more than 15 years. The UK boundary commission - which looks at electoral constituencies - is due to meet in early 2018 to look at all the possible options. France-based campaigner Brian Cave urged expats across Europe to put as much pressure on the UK authorities as possible. He told the Olive Press: “Britons abroad should not be ignored.”
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Vol. 10 Issue 246
www.theolivepress.es
August 17th - August 30th 2016
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A fight on the beaches Why are two beach-goers battling over this patch of blocked sand?
Passport control See Back Page
To the bar
Road-sweeper becomes lawyer Page 3
Brit MP nicked in Spain Page 11
Danczuk probed in assault claim
‘Deal me in’
Catalan leader slams Rajoy Page 11
British businessman’s shady dealings lead to the seizure of 97 expat and Spanish passports
80 years on Since Lorca’s death Page 19
EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan
ALMOST 100 expats are battling to get their passports back after police confiscated them two years ago over a car import scam. The group are being investigated for fraud and being part of a criminal organisation after using a shady British-owned
SCAM: Car Import Spain boss Chris Dann and (left) the Van Wershovens company that dealt with the paperwork. A total of 97 people, which also includes a few Spanish, all unwittingly used the company
Car Import Spain to transport their vehicles. Despite British boss Chris Dann allegedly taking the blame, the clients have had
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their passports seized and must report to court twice a month as part of the investigation. One victim, Dutch expat Johan van Wershoven, is now appealing to the court in Barcelona to speed up the investigation so he can get on with his life. “I cannot believe this is still dragging on,” Van Wershoven, 51, told the Olive Press. “When I was first called to Malaga court in 2014 I thought they had made a mistake.” Van Wershoven and his wife Ria used the Barcelona-based company, which set up in 1990, to transport their BMW 535i when they moved to Mijas from California in 2013. Despite obtaining Spanish registration and a Baja Consular (a document needed to cover import tax), Tarragona-based Dann submitted forged documents to the traffic department. Continues Page 4
OLIVE PRESS – 70mm x 40mm FRONT COVER
17th August
Copyright OlivePress
SPAIN is on the brink of ending its eight-month political deadlock with the PP set to strike a deal with Ciudadanos. The deal hinges on a vital sixpoint reform plan, which would lead to Albert Rivera’s centreright party supporting Mariano Rajoy’s bid to continue as prime minister. The PP is expected to accept the proposals this week, with Rajoy ready to make an official leadership bid in September. The PP won 135 seats in June’s second general election, with Ciudadanos taking 34, short of an overall majority of 176. With the two parties joining forces pressure would build on the PSOE to abstain in September’s vote.
Summer fruit Spain’s tomato fetish explored Page 36
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