Dawn

Dawn

Friday, April 30, 2010

I defy anyone to give an intelligible account of the law as it applies to the building of property along the Spanish coast. Or anywhere in the country for that matter. In this de facto federal state, there seems to be a complete mare’s nest of overlapping and contradictory laws at the state, regional and municipal level. But at least one thing is now clear; it isn’t only foreigners who have their properties demolished. Spaniards do too. Though the process may well be ratherslow. Not far from here along the coast, a seven-floor building constructed illegally in 1984 is finally being knocked down this week. Actually, I felt rather sympathetic to the owner’s claim it had been legal when built and had only become illegal under subsequent changes in the law. Probably not true in this case, of course, but it could well have been.

When writing about Greece, Portugal and Spain, the last thing I’d want to do is give the impression I think the UK economy is in a sounder state. The truth is the IMF probably has Britain in its sights and the efforts required to keep them at bay will be draconian. Including a 6 pence in the pound increase in income tax according to one commentator today. As the writer of this article points out, it’s not only the Spanish who are living in something of an unreal world. So are the majority of Brits, distracted as they are by the trivia of Prime Ministerial gaffes on the non-subject of immigration. As he says, “We will have to tighten the budget by some 70 billion pounds a year. Yet one extraordinary survey, released yesterday, discovered that 75% of Britons, despite the dire warnings and the huge figures, believe that sufficient money to reduce the deficit will be found from efficiency savings alone. They do not believe either that taxes need to rise or that real services need to be reduced. Their accomplices in this fantasy have been politicians whose own plans have all failed to detail to the electorate what they will do when in power.” But, then, there is a general election looming up in the UK. Sr Zapatero has no such excuse for his eternal optimism and his obfuscation. Not to mention his lies. And then there’s the PP opposition! Mired in corruption and led by someone who’s had a charisma bypass. Do people really get the leaders they deserve?

Anyway, here’s what you might call a classic Anglo view of the EU situation. It seems a tad apologetic to me. Until the last line.

Just returning to Gordon Brown’s much-reported verbal gaffe of yesterday . . . What really surprised – and impressed – me is that he didn’t swear. I dread to think what I would’ve been caught saying if I’d been as annoyed as he clearly was.

Finally . . . I’m pleased to say that the collared doves which nested just outside my bedroom window a couple of years ago have returned to their excuse of a nest – typical of the breed, I understand – to breed another pair of chicks. For pictures of the last two as they emerged, click here.

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