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From a new life in spain, to an old life in britain, 'roaming brit' documents uncertain times!

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On 31st January 2016, my partner and I left Southampton to start a new life as Expats in Gran Alacant, on the Costa Blanca. This blog will document our journey, as we navigate the Spanish system, travelling a path untried and untested. With Brexit looming, political turmoil in Europe, and an unpredictable future, harsh decisions must be made. Illness, family bonds, and a Change of heart all make for challenging times in the life of a 'Roaming Brit!'
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This week, I have been talking about social media and its impact on my life. I am an avid user of the medium, as many of you know, and couldn't live without it. I am, of course, very different to most people — having lived all over the World, it has been an important tool, to keep in contact with friends and family, as well as those people I have met whilst travelling over the years.

In the wake of the riots across my home country of Britain, it has been critical for me to defend social media to a point, whilst realising the need for change. Even after the hijacking of various platforms by far right and left protesters, spouting misinformation and lies, I am aware of the significant role it has, in the social fabric of society. It is nevertheless, actually quite chilling, knowing, that the owners of these powerful online sites, allow some truly repugnant content to be published. Like most normal people, I deplore the use of it for destructive, divisive and in some cases, deplorable criminal acts. In the real World people would be held accountable for their actions, in the World of X and Facebook, there appears to be no limits, to what people can say, promote and incite.

I write for Roaming Brit at least once a week; in the past, I would often write several times a day, and I enjoy expressing my views on every conceivable subject imaginable. Writing is a part of who I am, and it is a passion that I have followed since I was a young boy, of eleven years old. I am able to create my own content, that falls within my own moral code. As a blogger, who is paid by Google, I have terms and conditions to adhere to, if I deviate from these rules, my earnings will be affected, and I could be liable to prosecution. I can still make my voice heard and indulge my need to have an opinion, responsibly, without malice and within boundaries that I don't tend to cross. You don't need to hide behind a fake profile, spewing lies, if you, like me, just tell the truth.

In the past I have over stepped the mark and have got in a lot of trouble, by doing so. I have been in Facebook jail, more times than I care to remember and sanctioned on X (formerly known as Twitter), for nothing more than just saying what I believe is right. This was of course in the days before Elon Mask took over — these days you can do and say what the hell you like, and get away with it. Have standards really fallen that low? Well yes, they appear to have, and the World is becoming a nastier place as a result.

Last week, through the power of social media, I was able to meet local artist Alison Hanrahan, here in Perth, not too far from where I live. I fell in love with a painting she had produced and just had to have it. I met her at The Ellis House Arts Centre, in Bayswater; we had a nice chat about her art, and it was a pleasure to get to know her. This is the 'good' power of social media at work; this is the way I have met many people over the years, and this is the right way to use this valuable resource.

I have come to the realisation, that online social media has to adapt, amend and improve, especially in this violent World we live in. I do value freedom of speech, but when peoples lives are put at risk through lies and abusive behaviour, it is time to regulate. All of us need to take responsibility for our actions, and we have a duty to tell the truth. It is important we don't inflame situations that can result in harm to others, and we must ensure our words are honest, genuine, and accurate. As a person, I was never brought up to lie, but I have had my moments, like everyone else —  well, we all make mistakes! When you see the deaths of three innocent children, used as the catalyst to cause violence and mayhem, through misinformation and lies, you know it's time the World changed, and with it, the companies who facilitate this detestable behaviour.

​Please, be kind!
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Wonderful painting of Clarence Pier, by Portsmouth artist Hannah Marsh, now sitting proudly on my lounge wall. This picture evokes many happy memories. When you move abroad, it's important to surround yourself with items that make you feel comfortable and secure. Moving to the other side of the World is pretty anxiety inducing, so it's paintings like this, that keep me grounded and happy to be in my new home. I suppose if you came to my Aussie home today, you would find it a homage to my life in The UK. For me, that's no bad thing; it has allowed me to settle and adjust to me life down under!
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​The cold weather is biting hard at the moment, and it is certainly taking its toll on me; my arthritis is playing up something chronic. This is the worst time of year; I absolutely hate living in Perth during the winter. Heating is the biggest problem —  trying to keep houses, designed for the Australian climate, warm, is an almost impossible task. We did purchase the biggest electric heater we could find, but even that only takes the edge off the cold. Thankfully the West Australian Government will be paying our electricity bill for a while, as they are for everyone here, so we don't have to worry about the cost.

I have been impressed by just how much the state pays towards our bills. I pay a direct debit of $130.00 a month, which under normal circumstances is more than enough to cover our costs, so we have built up quite a surplus in our utility account. Watching the news from the UK, it seems you are paying a fortune for your gas and electricity; in Western Australia, things are very different. Costs are very low and the Government subsidises essential utilities to a huge extent. After substantial tax cuts, from the federal government at the beginning of July, and a pay rise for both of us, we are actually starting to feel the benefits.

It is true to say that the cost of living in Australia is high. Today we did our weekly shopping in Coles and spent another $400.00; that's how much we spend each week, and it goes up all the time. There are only two million people living in Western Australia, so the choice of supermarkets is far more limited than in the UK. However, wages are particularly high; I earn four times more than I earned in Britain, and life is good financially. 

There are many aspects of my life in Australia that I would like to change; however, to be financially secure, saving for the future, going on holiday when you want, and not scrimping and scraping to make ends meet, is everything to me. Western Australia is the place to make money, but this is just a stepping stone for us, a ten-year plan, before we decide what to do next. For now, we are happy enough, and thankful for the chance to rebuild our lives in Australia, one of the most beautiful places on Earth!
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When the exit poll came through at 5 am on Friday morning (Australia time), I couldn't quite believe it. The polls showing Labour twenty points ahead, throughout the election campaign, appeared to be correct, judging by this final, most accurate poll. I for one, took it with a pinch of salt; I still didn't believe it was accurate, sceptical about information collated before a single vote was counted.

It wasn't until the actual results started to filter through, that the penny dropped. Labour was indeed on course for a landslide victory, akin to that of Tony Blair in 1997.

I was up at 3.45 am to watch the British election results counted throughout the United Kingdom; sitting in my lounge in front of an electric fire, in the middle of a cold (well relatively chilly) Australian winter, I was ready to watch the results tally up. With a cup of tea and a warm hot water bottle, I anxiously awaited confirmation of this projected Labour Landslide.

Usually I would be at work on a Friday, but I had taken a personal day, because of a pre-planned hospital visit. At 9 am I had to make my way to Midland hospital, mobile phone in hand, watching the results while I walked to my appointment. Later that afternoon, I was back home, glued to the box once again. It was clear there was indeed going to be a new Labour government, and I was delighted.

As the afternoon progressed here in Australia, the scale of the losses, from one of the worst UK governments in my lifetime, was unlike anything I had ever seen before, and I couldn't have been happier. Watching the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg and Liz Truss lose their seats, as a political wave of change engulfed Britain, was satisfying, after everything they had done to bring Britain to its knees. These were the people that had lied repeatedly, partied during the pandemic, paid millions of taxpayers money to their mates for unusable PPE, and destroyed the hopes and dreams of a nation with their Brexit lies. This was karma coming back to bite those who had spent so long, taking their positions for granted, and disrespecting the British public.

Despite this great Labour victory, there are some warning signs on the horizon. Reform will now have a voice in Parliament; this extremist, homophobic, racist party will now be voting on the future of the UK — that is scary. Then there are the one-trick pony 'Gaza Activists,' who high jacked some local constituencies, because of their extremist views on the war in the Middle East. Of course this only happened in areas with a high Muslim population, but the appalling, confrontational campaigns they fought, against good, trusted MP's, was a disgrace. MP, Jess Phillips, spoke up against the treatment she received from these awful groups, organised to cause maximum disruption, hurt, and pain to her, just because she was a woman — that was shocking to see. The UK is not a fascist country, and that kind of behaviour should not be tolerated. Those responsible should be bought to justice!

I am not a political activist, and have voted for most political parties during my lifetime. This time, however, I was sadly unable to vote, but my support for this new Government is unequivocal. The Tories had to go; they had caused so much damage to my home country that it would have been impossible for them to continue. They have a lot of expectations to live up too, and I hope they will succeed in their endeavours to change Britain for the better.

It is true they won a landslide with a small percentage of the vote, but that is the British electoral system, so they can't do anything about that, unless they feel the need to in Government. Nevertheless, they are now the party in charge, and all of us should give them our full support. If they don't live up to expectations, then I, like everyone else, will vote them out. The hope is, however, they will achieve great things in the UK and the Tories will remain out of power for a very long time; after the catastrophe of the last 14 years, do they really deserve to govern again?
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What has the General Election in the UK, on the other side of the World, got to do with me, I hear you ask? Well, it has plenty to do with me; I still pay tax and national insurance in the UK and with my Father fast approaching old age, I am concerned what a Tory victory in the UK, would mean for my Dad's long term care, should he need it. Despite living in Australia, I do have a vested interest in the outcome of the British election, just like many millions of expats all over the World.

During my lifetime, I have voted for every political party; I am not a political activist (except for a brief period in the early 1990s, when I was a member of the 'Anti-Nazi League'), nor have I ever campaigned for a particular political party or have an affiliation to any one of them. My views change, depending on the politics of the day, and I listen to what all parties have to say — even the ones whose views leave a bad taste in my mouth!
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This week I received my voting papers from Southampton City Council, the last place I lived in the UK. Of course, they were delivered far too late for me to vote; after contacting Auspost here in Western Australia, they made it abundantly clear, my ballot would not be received on time and sadly, on this occasion, I would not be able to vote in the general election. To say I was livid is an understatement! The six-week campaign in the UK has been one of the longest in history, yet my old local council couldn't even get a ballot form to me in good speed — that I find shocking and completely unacceptable.

I was determined to vote in the election, because it was important to make my voice heard. These last 14 years of Conservative Government have been an utter shambles. The UK has become a laughingstock, as my old home went from one disaster to another. Led by five different Prime Ministers, the country has gone from bad to worse as Brexit, the economy, high taxes and political instability has become the order of the day.

When I left the UK in 2022, I was glad to leave a failing Britain. The politics, weather, and most importantly, unelected Prime Minister, had literally driven me away from a country I loved. I no longer felt comfortable living in Britain, and I was just grateful for the chance to restart my life on the other side of the World — Not many people, especially at my age, have that opportunity.

Unable to vote myself, I would encourage all of you to engage in the political process. My preference would be for a resounding Labour victory, but whoever you vote for, just get out and put that cross on the ballot paper. I will of course be following this election closely. Rather like I did in 1997, when Tony Blair won a landslide, and Darrell and I returned home from Australia to the UK. This time, however, no matter what happens, we will both be staying firmly in Perth. I can never see a time, where I am living in Britain again. Nevertheless, I believe my future as an expat, will be more secure, with a Labour victory, and I hope you also feel the same, living in the UK.

Get out on July 4th, vote Labour, vote for change!
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Author

51-year-old Author and professional blogger. Expat formerly living in Gran Alacant on the Costa Blanca! Currently, residing in my adopted home of Perth, Western Australia.

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A place to call home
Finally, a place we can call home.  A community of like minded individuals, who used to call Britain home.  Now Spain is our choice, an altogether gentler, happier, sunnier and safer experience!
        Luke Feb 16