There are possibly two extreme archetypes of EU nationals in the UK... Firstly, well qualified professionals who could probably gain similar employment elsewhere, and who may well take valuable business and expertise with them resulting in a significant long term loss to the UK economy.

Secondly, poorly qualified workers - often from Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and other eastern European states doing manual, difficult and poorly remunerated work no one else wants to do - for the wages that are on offer.  They often work long hours and sleep in poor accommodation on or near their workplace.

Those industries which employ them - marginal agricultural, fishing, and services industries will struggle to operate without them, and will either have to invest heavily to automate the work, or pay higher wages to less willing UK workers. Those businesses will either go to the wall, or end up adding significantly to UK cost inflation.

Either way, the UK economy will be heavily impacted.  UK nationals in the EU, on the other hand, are often retired and contribute less to the EU economy through their labour, even if their expenditure adds to EU economic activity.

In Spain many are still tax resident in the UK, even though they have been living in Spain for many years and should have changed their tax residency to Spanish.  I suspect the Spanish authorities will take a less lenient view in the future.

Index of Frank's Diaries