16 Apr, 2019 @ 12:19
1 min read

Brexit is proof UK has ‘lost its influence’ in the world, says Andalucia minister before assuring healthcare for Brits will continue as normal

Velasco warned a hard Brexit could result in economic losses of up to €1.1 billion back in April
Minister for the Economy Velasco

BRITISH expats will be able to use Andalucia’s health services as normal post-Brexit.

That’s what the Junta will tell town halls along the Costa del Sol and Campo de Gibraltar in a series of meetings set to be held in the coming weeks.

The regional government will be filling the local municipalities in on their preparations for the UK’s departure from the EU.

According to economy minister Rogelio Velasco: “The British will be able to continue using the Andalucian Health Service (SAS), which through the central government will send the invoice for the costs to the UK government.”

In an interview with Europa Press, Velasco added that Spain is working to make the border crossing between the Campo de Gibraltar and the Rock as seamless as possible.

Gibraltar la linea e
Campo de Gibraltar

The minister said he was ‘very optimistic’ that the 10,000 workers who cross the border each day ‘will continue to do so with absolute normality’ after the UK leaves the union.

However he added that Spanish workers have lost 10% of their salaries due to the drop in the pound’s value, warning that a no-deal would have ‘dire consequences’ for workers and the region.

While still a possibility, such an outcome is deemed less likely after the civil service in the UK was ordered to stand down its no-deal preparations last week.

Minister Velasco went on to say that the UK has lost power over the years and that Brexit is a symptom of the country ‘trying to find its new place in the world.’

“Little by little it has lost its colonies and influence in the world which has favoured the US and China, and in Europe, Germany is once again the country with the greatest weight.”

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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