Poor rating
The World Economic Forum has ranked
Spain 129th out of 149 countries in terms
of pay equality between men and
women. The Forum’s annual report on
gender pay gaps says Spain suffers from
“prejudices” and “a lack of progress on
internal policies.” It calls for improved
paternity leave, flexible workplaces and,
“promotion based on objectives and not
on time in the office.”
Shakira pursued
Colombian pop star Shakira is being
pursued by the Spanish tax man for €14.5
million which they believe she withheld
from them between 2012 and 2014. The
authorities have spent three years
investigating the 41-year-old who only
registered as a full tax resident in Spain
in 2015. Prosecutors believe she
pretended to live in the Bahamas to
avoid paying tax in Spain after moving to
Barcelona when she met soccer star
Gerard Pique in 2011.
Dumfounded police
Amazon has denied allegations it asked
Spanish police to patrol inside one of its
warehouses to make sure workers were
productive while a Black Friday protest
about “inhumane conditions” took place
outside. Stories in the press were denied
by the retailer which labelled them
“ludicrous” and the “worst kind of
misinformation.” The newspaper El
Confidencial alleged Amazon’s request
“dumfounded” police because
“controlling workers doesn’t fall within
its powers.”
Briton dies
A 24-year-old British woman has died in
a road accident in Madrid. Keren Brody
from Edgware in London moved to
Spain in October to pursue a career as an
interpreter after graduating with first-
class honours in French from the
University of Warwick. She has been laid
to rest alongside her grandmother in
Israel.
Plane arrest
Police on Mallorca boarded a London-
bound flight to arrest a Chilean man
suspected of involvement in almost 40
break-ins on the island. The alleged thief
had already buckled up for the flight
when Guardia Civil officers came aboard
and handcuffed him. Five alleged
accomplices were held early the next
morning at an apartment in Palma where
many of the stolen items were found.
Blow to Remainers
in UK court
The decision of the UK’s High Court to
reject a request to declare the result of
Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum null
and void is likely to be the subject of an
appeal. Campaigners had cited “corrupt
and illegal practices” by the Vote Leave
campaign amongst their reasons for
bringing the case.
Mr Justice Ouseley said last month that
he was refusing permission for a full
hearing of the claim because of the
long delay in bringing it forward and
because of “the want of merit.” His
view was that the case was “hopeless”
and had “such severe problems” that it
should never have been brought. The
“UK in Europe Challenge,” as the case
is known, aims to demonstrate that
illegally-funded advertising “reached
tens of millions” of eligible voters,
which could easily have swayed the
referendum result. It argued that,
therefore, it had not been a “free and
fair” vote.
Vote Leave carried on spending,
despite reaching its expenses limit two
days before the vote, and was later
found by the Electoral Commission to
have broken the law. Campaigners also
argued that prime minister Theresa
May had ignored growing evidence of
illegality, and also pointed to the
National Crime Agency’s investigation
into suspicions of “multiple” criminal
offences committed by Arron Banks
and the separate Leave.EU campaign.
The case was brought by British
nationals resident in Europe who said
that efforts to crowd-fund their
initiative had resulted in delays. They
maintain, however, that two-and-a-
half years on from the vote,
demographics and greater knowledge
mean that Remainers are now in the
majority.
However, far from being defeated, the
anti-Brexit group in Europe continues
to challenge Mrs May’s claims that the
Leave result was “the will of the
people.” They estimate up to five
million of those who will be directly
affected by Brexit were unable to vote,
including all EU nationals living in the
UK, irrespective of their length of
residence, and all UK nationals who
had lived outside Britain for 15 years or
more.
Sue Wilson head of Bremain in Spain,
said she was disappointed with last
month’s ruling. “The government has
aggressively countered our claims,” she
added, “and has shown a blatant
disregard for democratic values.”
More controls on holiday rentals
Ministers have approved a change to
the Horizontal Property Law which is
aimed at controlling the proliferation
of holiday rental properties. Once it
has been approved by Congress and is
published in the Official State Gazette,
it will become a legal requirement.
Once it is in law, three-fifths of the
owners of properties in a community
will be able to agree limits and impose
conditions on those who own holiday
rental apartments and villas which, the
government says, will “encourage”
coexistence in the community.
Presently, unanimity amongst owners
is required to, for example, ban holiday
rentals within a community.
The legislation will not be retroactive
but will be imposed as soon as it signed
10
as a Royal decree. The government says
that the measure has become necessary
as a result of the spread of businesses
such as Airbnb and will ensure that no
legal gaps exist between the legislations
of different communities.
The Minster for Industry, Trade and
Tourism, Reyes Maroto, described the
move as “one step more” in the
regulation of tourist rental housing
through regulatory amendments, and
said it would help Spain’s 17 regions to
“mitigate the difficulties of control” by
giving more power to communities of
owners. The changes regarding holiday
rentals are included in a package of
measures which the government says
are “absolutely necessary.” However,
these do not include setting a ceiling
on prices charged.