Expats take Spanish council seats

UK emigrants living in some areas of Spain may reap the benefits of having fellow Britons standing in councils, it has emerged.

The country's Ministry for Regional Policy recently released figures that show a significant number of Brits have been voted in to take prominent positions in local politics.

This may prove useful to expats that make money transfers to the region and who wish to have representation from other UK emigrants.

Figures from the poll reveal that 85 local seats are held by overseas councillors, with 43 per cent of them being British.

Some 37 UK emigrants make up the group of foreign candidates who were successfully voted-in during elections in 2007.

Valencia has the largest number of Brits sitting on local councils, with 19 expats securing seats, while eight UK emigrants triumphed in town hall elections in Andalucia.

In other news, financial advisor RBC Wealth Management recently reported an increase in enquiries regarding overseas pensions following proposed tax hikes, according to ifaonline.co.uk.

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By John Mills