WATCH: British ambassador to Spain tells expatriates it is ‘vital’ to be registered in Brexit update

By Joe Gerrard • Published: 27 Jul 2019 • 21:46

BRITAIN’S ambassador to Spain has told expatriates it is ‘vital’ they and their families are properly registered in an update on Brexit and political developments in Westminster.

Simon Manley said Britain’s new Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been ‘absolutely clear’ the country would leave the EU on Thursday October 31, with or without a deal.

British nationals need to be registered before that date to ensure they can benefit from measures outlined by the Spanish government covering a no-deal outcome, including on healthcare and residency, Manley added.

“It is essential we prepare for the possibility of a no-deal, which is exactly what we’re going to do,” the ambassador said.

https://www.facebook.com/BritsInSpain/videos/3290730450940942/

Manley added the Brits in Spain Facebook page would be hosting a live Q&A session on Tuesday.

Manley’s comments come as Boris Johnson’s entry into 10 Downing Street ratcheted up the prospect of Britain leaving the EU without a deal.

Johnson has repeatedly said he would prefer to leave with a deal but that it Brexit must happen by the October deadline, ‘do or die’.

His new ministerial appointments, which include making Brexiteers Dominic Raab and Jacob Rees-Mogg Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons respectively, also signalled a turn towards a harder Brexit line than predecessor Theresa May.