I've kept quiet about Brexit on Facebook but it is worth you knowing that the proposed "deal" directly affects our family. We now have nowhere where our family's right to stay together as a family is guaranteed.
In the UK Viola is not fully eligible for permanent residency because she didn't haven't private health insurance (Essential for non-UK EU nationals living in the UK - Who knew!?!) when we had Lally. I now no longer have an automatic right to live in Italy. It is now discretionary. Italy can make me apply and reapply for permanent status.
We may both be subject to systematic criminal checks and we can be deported before appeal. And, worse of all, our exercise of free movement is now defined as a "life choice" not a right.
Theresa May has totally caved on our rights. It is a shameful day for Brexit. We were encouraged to be European in our outlook, we have built our lives around this idea. It will be a shameful day for the European Parliament if it accepts this.
We've lived in France, England and now Italy. One of the things that made me want to travel and live in other places was seeing, meeting hearing all those foreign folk walking round the streets of Edinburgh during the festival and Hogmanay when I was younger.
The idea that my generation is stealing away the opportunities that have added so much to my life - travel, work, meeting my wife - sounds awful to me. Deeply unfair.
I feel really proud to be a cheerleader for Edinburgh living here in Milan. All the Milanese folk thing we are batty for leaving the EU. There may be problems but its a great community. I hope we can work this out.
Mark
