ROME – A British pensioner living in Tuscany says he is “proud” to have voted for Brexit. He was able to do this because the distance gave him an objective view.
Edward (not his real name) says he wants Britain to regain some of its “lost greatness” before “we decided to let Europe shackle us” and that he will vote Leave again.
The 65-year-old, originally from Manchester, believes he is lucky to live in a “utopia” in Italy that allows him to assess events in Britain objectively and without personal involvement.
He says the distance allowed him to vote to leave because of his beliefs.
“I’ve lived in the rural hills of Florence for ten years now,” he says. “I developed an unbiased point of view, which allowed me to see things from a clearer perspective,” he says.
While some expats have complained about post-Brexit travel, visa and trade rules, Edward admits it will never be an issue for him.
“I could afford to vote Leave… the outcome of the vote, such as post-Brexit travel restrictions, would not have affected me in any way,” he says.
The widower bought the three-bedroom rural farmhouse near Florence for €150,000 (£130,000) in 2014 and spent €80,000 (£70,000) on renovations. He spends his days tending his four-hectare estate and traveling around Tuscany.
Edward gained residency in Italy in 2015, when it was a quick and easy process as the UK was still part of the European Union. He has no plans to apply for Italian citizenship and says he remains proud to be British.
Having moved to Italy for a full-time job, he observed political events in Britain from afar, “from an analytical and amusing distance,” he says.
“I think a lot of British people have done what I did, although few want to admit it,” he adds. “Most Leave supporters voted intuitively rather than based on sound and reasonable arguments. Brexit was not a brain vote.
“Brexit was purely idealistic, nothing concrete. Voters leaving didn’t care about the consequences; Their vote was simply a voice of protest against the European Union, a way to express their disappointment.”
The retiree, who previously worked in the UK IT industry, moved to Italy for a quieter lifestyle and because he didn’t like how “the London government was always at the mercy of Brussels”.
“It was unacceptable to see our great kingdom kneel before the European Commission and pass rules and laws that limit our sovereignty,” he said.
“Britain has never had to bow to anyone in its thousand-year history, and we have become a nation far ahead of other European countries. We deserve respect and must regain this lost status.”
On his rural farm, where he grows premium olive trees for extra virgin oil and a variety of fruit trees, Edward maintains a collection of works by famous British poets.
He plans to continue living in Tuscany but says he may consider returning if conditions in Britain improve.
“British politicians and the British government we are associated with are helpless fools,” he notes, “so I will remain in Tuscany for now unless something changes.”
Source: I News
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