A growing population

By Jason Moore SO the British community across the Balearics has increased in size by a record 17.5 percent, according to official figures released this week. Officially, the British community across the four islands now stands at 17'602, up from 14'928 in 2004. This is a major increase but I sincerely doubt that it has grown so much, I suspect that more British residents are registering with their councils so that they can vote or take advantage of other council facilities. When I am asked how big is the British community on Majorca alone, I always say about 25'000. I believe this to be a accurate figure. Now, if all these 17'000 people vote in next month's local elections they can make a major difference especially in the smaller municipalities. A classic example is Calvia, which despite being a relatively big area has a small population of just over 30'000 people. Any new voters will naturally be courted by the two big parties, the Spanish Socialists and the Partido Popular, because both parties have found it exceptionally difficult to get a majority on the council. I think this latest figures are a real insight they clearly underline the fact that British residents on the islands want to vote and to be fully legal. Whether or not the British community is growing or not I sincerely don't know but one thing for sure those that are here want to stand up and be counted.