Running on empty, except for the cardboard.

To describe the last two weeks as 'frantic' would be an understatement. Exhaustion is a constant friend and we've both developed a deep loathing of the cardboard box. We left the UK on the 17th of July for Vienna. The day ran smoothly, with connecting flights working perfectly and an on time arrival at Vienna. The only problem we hit was leaving our luggage at Vienna airport. The one counter was full, so we had to use an alternate. Small issues really. We caught a train into the centre, enjoying a lunch at the station, then we checked in to our hotel for the night. Weirdly, this is the last hotel we'll ever stay at in Vienna. The NH Wien Belvedere was chosen partly in price but mostly because it had a very good noodle shack nearby. Seriously, the noodles served up at Rennweg are delicious. With a carton of noodles and a view out into the Belevedere gardens, we settled in for the evening watching a newly discovered show on Pro 7, Grill Den Hennsler. For Brits, this is a mix between 'masterchef'and 'it's a knockout.' Fun stuff. 

The next morning, with a cup of tea and a few Manner biscuits. (Love those things) and we set off to meet Wolfgang, our tame Makler, to meet the other Makler and sign the paperwork. After all the fuss and fighting to get out chosen apartment, the final signing was remarkably easy. In just 45 minutes, we'd signed the contracts, paid the deposit, paid Remax and we were presented with the keys. Then we took the cemetery tram (yes I live on the 71 line that leads directly to Vienna's central Cemetery.) and we chatted with Wolfgang as we traveled. From his point of view, he was happy to see us in our new place, but his commission was, well very sad. With our deposit paid, the Makler fee was around €1400, which was then split between Remax and the other firm. So out of the €700 left, Wolfgang got just about €140! For that €140, he's helped set up our electricity supplier (a good deal of which I'm sure he'll get commission for the recommendation.) sorted out the apartment viewings and dealt with the negotiations with the apartment landlord. He went above and beyond, and even further, as I'll come to later. Anyway, with the keys in hand, we set foot in our new home. Home is now Kobelgasse 7 , Wien. We checked the place over, detailed with Wolfgang any floors in the paintwork, fixtures and fittings. Then it was time for Wolfgang to leave, and for us to start a new life. The man from the electric board was due that day to switch on the electric, so one of us would have to wait in for him to do his job. We both figured we had time to grab a bite from the Bakery across the road. With a bite to eat sorted, it was time to bring the place to life. My job was to fetch the cases from the airport. Lynda sat in waiting for the electric man, I headed out, deciding to take a stroll through the cemetery to a nearby station to the Airport. The whole trip to the airport and back took around two hours, but I got the heavy cases back to the apartment. Wilting in the heat, Lynda got us two ice cold beers from a local shop, and damn was it needed. We took our stuff and filled the very empty apartment up with traces of us. 

It was a nice moment. What was becoming clear though was that the Elelctic man wasn't coming. Wolfgang told us to drop him a line if we still had no electric after 3pm. We did, and bless him, he came down after work to rig the electric for us. The apartment has three main fuses, but we only had two. That meant the fridge and hob worked, but not the dishwasher or oven. Plus half the sockets in the apartment worked, the other half didn't. We coped though. With partial power restored, Wolfgang apologised for the electric board. He was not happy and promised to get to the bottom of it in the morning. 

With time getting on, we had just enough time to pop out to a local Mömax to pick up simple essentials, like a lamp for light, a few basic plates and even some pillows to put on the inflatable mattress. Then all we had left to do was to pick up our hand luggage from the hotel. They had a facility to leave our hand luggage there. It was gone 7 by the time we got back, hot, very tired and hungry. We managed to drag ourselves out to the local Chinese takeaway, enjoying our first warm meal in our new home, sat on an inflatable matress with a laptop and the first season of House M.D to enjoy. 

The rest of the week was a constant feeling of running. A trip to ikea on the Tuesday revealed a huge difference when ordering in a big city versus the Welsh valley's. With our new bed and other furniture paid for, we headed for the delivery area, expecting to see the new stuff in the morning. Instead we were told the new kit would arrive anytime after two. This was and 12.45. Time to get running again. We made it, and Wolfgang also came by on his way home (he lives in the 21st district, which is definitely NOT on the way home from the 11th. He brought with him new fuses, fixing the last of the electricity issues. He mentioned that the electric man had two jobs at our building on the books, one at ours, and one at the Kindergaten that sits under part of our building. The Kindergaten was closed until the 3rd of August. Confusing the two jobs for one, he left to return on the 3rd. Wolfgang has told them he's sorted the issue, but who knows, the man may still come.  

By the Friday and time to return to the UK, the apartment is doing ok. Now the battle is on to get the rest of our stuff across the channel this weekend. Exhausted isn't the right word, as come next week, I may declare myself legally dead, just for rest. After all, it's only a 2200 mile round trip. :) 

Jess 

The wild blue yonder

It's a Saturday night. In two weeks we head out in a van, crossing the continent in three days. Two girls, one parrot, little sleep. But that's for the future. In the present, well, it's Saturday night, I'm sat in a hotel bed, next to the UK's biggest airport. Tomorrow we fly out to Vienna. Moving day just came early. 

Monday's are fun days. 

Last month, we headed to Vienna to do a little apartment hunting. A week of looking around at various places. And we found a place. I won't go into details now, mostly because I want to cover the whole process in another post, hopefully once we have the keys to our new place. What I will say is it negotiating the lease took patience and caused a lot of stress. However, Monday, glorious Monday, hopefully marks the completion of the contracts, and by Monday afternoon we'll have the keys to our own place. And it can't come soon enough. 

Prepacking for action. 

When we planned the move, we expected, perhaps naively, to pick up the keys on the day we arrive with our stuff. What's actually happened is that we needed to find an extra trip to Vienna to sign the paperwork, take possession and relax in the peace and quiet of our new place. It's actually worked out well. We've booked a few days in the city, allowing us time to go to Ikea and Mömax to get the bits of furniture we planned on buying once there. Things like a bed, TV Unit and sofa's will all arrive next week, get set up and will be waiting for us in two weeks when we arrive with the rest of the stuff. We'll also get the cupboards filled with groceries so there's food when we get there. Plus we'll have the electric sorted (thanks Wolfgang) and we hope to get UPC cable and Internet hooked up as well. The last thing we'll do is file our residency paperwork, before we head back to the U.K. To finish packing. Gulp! 

Buying stuff in Vienna is all well and good, but Monday night we'll probably find ourselves on an inflatable mattress. So with Lufthansa now offering flights where you can pay to take lugguge one way, we've loaded up two suitcases, filled with little bits and pieces, all to help our new home, feel like home. So there's a kettle, cutlery, curtains, blankets towels and a host of other things to fill up the blank spaces. Come Friday, we leave the suitcases there and travel back with hand luggage only. It's exciting stuff. And damn well nerve racking. It's also fun.  

May you live in interesting times.

So, the die is cast, and the result is a massive blow to the EU. At 04.40 this morning, the BBC called the referendum for the leave campaign. In truth, we knew it was heading that way as early at 12.30 that evening. The simple truth is, remain didn't get enough votes where they needed it. For the first time in 40 years, we find ourselves outside, looking in. 

There's no two ways about it, we're disappointed. We'll still move, but the future will be less certain. Under EU law, article 50, the official procedure to leave the EU, once it's invoked, we'll have two years to sort out everything before the strings are cut and the U.K. Is free from Europe's grasp. The situation with 2 million expats living and working in the EU will have to be sorted out by then. 

It's not all bad news it seems. Amazingly we secured our new apartment this morning. So we have a home, hopefully forever. 

The future isn't going to be decided today, but one thing is certain, as the old Chinese curse states, 'may we live in interesting times'

No shit Sherlock.  

The Final Countdown.

So it's come to this. It's Wednesday the 22nd of June and in less than 24 hour, the polls open on the most important vote in British history. Tomorrow the country votes to decide if we stay part of the EU or not. A vote to leave will cause issues for several years, from Expats abroad to the rise of the right wing in Germany, Austria and other countries. Markets will stumble, and with uncertainty, there's sure to be a few wobbles on the UK stock market. For us, it could spell the end of our dream.

The biggest issue however, isn't the possibility of us leaving the EU. No, our main worry should be how a country that's been so decided during this referendum, will put itself back together after the vote has passed. The level of hate between the camps has been growing for the last three months, fed by a diet of tabloid outrage and politicians keen to press their beliefs on the public at large. Lies, fear and exaggeration have been the hallmarks of a dirty campaign from both sides.

Remains of the Day.

The remain side should have had the easier job. Tell the people the truth. Explain it clearly and make a positive case to stay. Instead We've had reports that have been blown out of proportion. 'You'll be £4000+ a year worse off if we leave.' comes the cry. 'GDP with fall, we'll hit a recession' and more have befallen the remain camps calls to arms. They've called for everything it seems including a plague of locusts. Well almost. The spectre of all out war in Europe even raised its ugly head. No, Instead of laying out the facts in an ordered way, Like only 13% or so of EU laws actually affect the UK, instead of the much reported 60%. But no. Its become a case of Chicken little screaming the sky is falling. That said, in all that exaggeration, there's a grain of truth. From the IMF to the IFS, the experts all agree that we'd be worse off if we left, its just the figures that are the issue.

BeLEAVE what you want.

If the remain campaign can be excused of exaggerating, the Leave campaign can be accused of living in their own little fantasy world. In this magical world, experts are to be dismissed as no nothings fools all in the pay of the EU. 'I think the UK public has had enough of experts' Leave Co chair Michael Gove has said. Ignoring the advice of the worlds economists is par for the course. Economics forecasting is mere voodoo, except when its their own economics professors of course. Then, the advice from but a handful of dissenting experts is to be taken seriously. Professor Minford, Vote Leave's tame expert has his own model of the economy post Brexit that shows how we'll be better off with free trade deals for all. He also says that our manufacturing sector would be all but gone and the economy would be run on the Service and high tech industries. So much for the steel industry then. Besides, who's reading that far into his report?

The economy was going to be a hards sell for the Leave guys. Just last week, we had the official unemployment figures. Unemployment is currently at its lowest level since 2005. Our economy is growing too! In fact  Leave are constantly telling us how great our economy is, that's why we have so many EU immigrants arriving here. Bear in mind however, that the rallying call against the EU is that its over bureaucratic, With so many rules and regulations that we're drowning under the weight. obviously their missing the obvious fact that if we are the best economy in the EU, then we must be doing ok within those pesky rules.  Oh and we're one of the most regulation free countries in Europe as well. hmmmmm.

Project Fear.

The favourite cry from those on the leave side is that the Remainers are pushing 'Project Fear', a term first appearing in in the Scottish referendum where the Remain side pushed the negative aspects of breaking up a 300 year union. They may have a point. As I pointed out earlier, everything including a plague of locusts and famine has seemingly been claimed to happen if we leave. And if Vote Leave had left it at that, I'd have said 'I disagree, but ok.' But this constant cry of 'Project fear' is set against the Leave sides own campaign of Fear and Hate. Repeatedly they claim Turkey will join the EU and 77 million (Yes 77 million!) Turks will make a bee line for our shores. The Fact that Turkey has been trying to join the EU for over 50 years and is no closer to for filling the criteria to join. If anything, they're moving in the opposite direction, from press freedoms and a president who seems more intent on suing German comics that 'insult' him. Plus, to join the EU, all 28 countries have to agree. We would probably Veto them, and I'm damn well sure Cyprus will Veto them as well. But in Vote Leave land, this matters not. 'It's government policy to bring Turkey into the EU.' They say. In the past is has been, but the changing nature of Turkey's relationship with the EU will affect that. Leave have an answer though. 'If the EU wants to do something, they will.' So there we are then. Why even bother voting, we'll just wait for the tanks to roll in shall we.

Immigration has been at the forefront of the Leave campaign, and the remain camp has found this to be the hardest thing to fight against. 'our public services are under pressure because of immigrants!' is the central claim. In a country where migrants make up less than 10% of the population, It's hard to imagine that the whole lot are causing issues. They're not. EU immigrants pay more into the UK in tax than they take out, and damn it, if they've paid in, then they're entitled to use it. The reason that public services are at breaking point is simple. In 2010, the government of the day began cutting public services in order to reduce the countries deficit. That cutting has continued with the current government. The Prime Minister, David Cameron is the same man who began the cuts in 2010 and is currently leading the Remain camp. So he can't stand there and say its not immigrants, its me. I did it. Likewise, the Leave camp is lead predominantly by conservative politicians who were in both governments as well. They can't say it was them as it wouldn't fit in with the narrative that the EU free movement is to blame. Plus these are the guys who are hoping to gain control of the current government if we do vote leave. No one wants to say 'We've screwed you over before, and now we have more control (Control is a leave buzzword) we're going to do more.'

Speaking of Control, Leave have made plenty of claims regarding the money we send to Brussels. They say, repeatedly, that being a member of the EU costs us £350 million pounds a week. If we didn't have to send that amount to Europe, would could invest it in the NHS for example. The claim is false though. Out of that £350 million, over half stays in the UK as part of the EU rebate. The figure we send to the EU is around £160 million. Its true that the rest of the money that stays in the UK is spent on things the EU says, but is that a bad thing. For example, there's the Common Agricultural policy that keeps farms running in impoverished area's. Wales and Cornwall along with other areas get over £1 billion in whats called 'objective 1' funding. This is funding to help regenerate some of the poorest area's of the UK. Just a mile from my keyboard right now, there's road improvements being made using Objective 1 funding. Train lines, colleges and even apprenticeships have all gained from the European funding. Leave claim that leaving the EU, they'd keep that funding in place, that Farm subsidies would be safe, that they'd even cut the VAT on gas and electricity bills, and tampons! plus lots of other stuff. They guarantee it in fact. The thing is, they're not the government, so any spending pledges are worthless. Even if they Win, replace Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne and somehow gain government power, the budget still has to find money from somewhere. The £8 billion annual bill we're saving by not being in the EU has to go a long way. And in government terms £8 billion is chicken feed. We spend £728 billion on defence alone. Most telling of course is this. That £8 billion represents just 1% or there about of GDP. Any recession after a Brexit (Which all the experts agree will happen, though what do they know, right?) would see GDP shrink, wiping out that £8 billion saving. Boris Johnson assures us it isn't going to happen though, and if it does, he'll publicly apologise on TV. Thank Boris, I'm sure the unemployed people who believed in you will appreciate that as they're benefits get cut to try and make savings.

Unanswered Questions.

I've tried to stay neutral in writing this piece, as I do with any review I write, but seeing the reality of the situation written down on the screen stirs my anger. We sit on the edge of a cliff, where the options are to either stay on the edge, or jump. The fact we're even thinking of jumping is a unbelievable, and it feels like we've got to this position by being promised the world on a stick. It's that same stick that poking us in the back as we teeter ever closer to the edge. There no answer to a range of questions heading into tomorrows vote, and sadly, there seems to a hell of a lot of people not asking, shouting out 'I want my country back' instead. Freedom from Europe will come at a price, and I'm damn well sure that the Leave campaign guys won't be the ones paying it!

Never trust a guide book!

This week it's be all go as we've been apartment hunting in Vienna. Over the course of five days, we've seen 6 apartments, been to two business meetings, drank many Ottakringer beers and eaten just a few slices of delicious cakes. While the apartment hunt has been tiring, it's other things that have taught us a lesson, so to speak. 

Always trust your guidebook?

This move has been in the planning for many years. Given we're moving to a foreign country, it's often wise to do a 'bit of research' into your chosen home. To aid me in my quest, Lynda lovingly bought me a little guidebook to the Austrians, the culture and the history of one of Europes oldest countries. In this hallowed text, I learnt many things about the 'Austrian way', and without a doubt, this week has shown it to a complete load of bollocks. Let's take a look at just a few 'Austrianisms' that didn't pan out this week. 

1. Time. 

Time and tide wait for no Austrian, so my guide informed me. Punctuality is king. To some extent this is true. I've sat and watched as buses, trains and trams arrive at the exact moment they should, and depart at exactly the right time. This punctuality extends to the Austrians themselves and the guide warned me that 'you should never be late. In fact Austrians consider even being exactly on time for a meeting to be 'late'.' So with this sage advice ringing in my ears, Lynda and I headed off for a meeting at the Vienna Business Agency. We arrived, as all good Austrians should, four minutes early. We were chuffed with ourselves for this feat, made even sweeter by my taking A wrong turn off the tram and slowing us up as I regained my whereabouts. Happily we greeted the receptionist, informed her we were there to see someone. Her response was one of panic, as she informed us we were early and the nice gentleman we were due to meet wasn't quite ready!  This was a mockery! Had the book been wrong or was this just a simple 'one off'?  Errrr, no. Later that day at a second meeting, due to start at 6pm, we found ourselves waiting 18 minutes!  So the score Austria 1 - Book 0.

Keep it formal.

'Austrians really appreciate a title' so the guide informs. From Doctorates to degrees, Austrians wear them with pride. Formality is appreciated. The guide tells me I should 'never greet a fellow person informally, even if you know then quite well.' It tells me even something as simple as greeting your neighbour, whom you've lived next to for twenty years, should be addressed as 'Herr or Frau'. So every email passed between us and our estate agent began with 'Guten Morgen Herr Gerzabek'.

Herr Gerzabek however was way more laid back, and as the week went on, we found he was very informal. Talking on the phone with a fellow collegue, He'd simply state, 'hey, it's Wolfgang.' So the guide was kind of wrong again. Austria 2 - Book 0.

Follow the rules, or you'll be sorry! 

'Rules are Rules' so sayeth the book. Austrians love rules and will enforce them when needed. That goes for the general public and not just the authorities. There are stories of people forgetting to validate their tram tickets, only to get caught by the transit authorities. The people on the tram then join in with the guards and publicly Berate the hapless offender. The same is true for jaywalkers, with old ladies telling off those who dare cross the road when the little man is still red. 

Wolfgang, our tame estate agent however laughs in the face of such rules, as we saw him crossing a road to reach a tram stop not 50 meters from a crossing. Even worse was the driver who helpfully slowed down and motioned for us to cross. Then there's the gas. Speaking with Fredrich at the Vienna Business Agency about old buildings and insurance, he told us of the how his apartment block was put on notice due to a gas leak. So far, iso good. He continued to tell us however that the gas had been leaking for years and the gas board had been checking it every so often, but found the leak to be not really worth the effort. The people living in the apartments though had no idea it was even leaking. 

Then there were the apartments we saw that featured bare electrical wiring sticking out of the walls. We checked if we needed to get an electrictian in to fit lights (a UK law requirement) but no, have a bash yourself! And don't even start me on the walking ladder technique that seems for stick two fingers up to 'Health and Safety rules'. Austria 3 - Book 0.

Final scores Austria 3 - Book 0

It's fairly clear that whilst it's possible to get a feel for a place, it's history and it's culture from a guide, you never really learn what it's really like until you experience it for yourself. Those Crazy Austrians are just like us crazy Brits and the crazy French and so on. They're a mix of all sorts of people and personallites. A guide is just that, a guide, as the truth is often somewhere inbetween what's written and what your personal experience is. 

Into the fire!

Things are starting to get serious. It's now just 1 month and 29 days until we move. Stress levels are rising, and things are starting to happen at a much faster pace. Memories of 2015, when we had months to plan are now but a distant memory. It just got real folks. 

Apartment hunting. 

Next week we'll find ourselves in Vienna, looking for that perfect apartment. So far we have a few to visit, all found by our tame estate agent (or Makler) Wolfgang Gerzabek. He's been sending a steady stream of apartments though for us to consider. We'll take what we can, so we're not that fussy right now. 

Getting an apartment isn't as easy as it sounds. In theory, we go see an apartment, like it, agree to pay the requested rent, pay our deposit, sign the paperwork and we're done. In reality though, it's a bit more complicated. The first hurdle is convincing the landlord that we're worthy of the apartment. tenants in Vienna are protected by plenty of laws, so the landlord wants to make sure you'll pay the rent and not cause any trouble. If you're self employed, things are a little more difficult. We'll find out how much more difficult next week.

The next issue is that the rent as defined in the advert is a little more 'fluid' than you think. As a plus this allows you to negotiate a discount or a months free rent if you need to do any work. As a minus, other parties interested in the same apartment can offer to pay more than the specified rent, leaving you in a bidding war if you're not careful, and without an apartment if you don't want to play the game. 

Third up is the commission.  Wolfgang is entitled to two months rent plus 20% for his trouble. You can of course find apartments that are 'provisionfrei' with no commission, but you have to be fast to find them. They'll often go within a day of hitting the market. Using a estate agent is costly, but worth it, we hope! Commission isn't the big issue though, it's the deposit. Some apartments ask for two months rent as a deposit whilst others ask for up to six months. There's no hard and fast rule, but the deposit has to be listed in the listing. 

If we're lucky, we'll get a place, sign the paperwork and be back in the UK in time for next weekend. If we're unlucky, well it's going to be a long week ahead. 

The Brexit factor. 

The EU referendum is a very complicating factor right now. It's possible that if the leave side win, we could see an immediate closing of the border on June 24th. It's just one of the possibilities that are doing the rounds here. Most agree that invoking article 50 of the Lisbon treaty would lead to two years negotiation on the UK's withdrawal. In that time, the current rules would remain in place, meaning we could move and hope the politicians sort out what they need to. It's not ideal and it does come with the risk of having to leave Austria after that two years. But there's also the option of leaving immediately. Much like ripping a plaster off, the idea is that the short term disruption will be a small price to pay to begin again. If that happens, we could find ourselves out of pocket, loosing our deposit and needing a plan B as we still have to move come July 30th. Worse, the 2 million Brits who live abroad and let's be honest, haven't really been thought about by the leave campaign at all really, could find themselves forced to return to the UK, horrendously out of pocket. Will the government pay to help with they're relocation? I'm guessing not. 

Now in theory, the aptly named Vienna convention could protect the many Ex pats. It basically says that people can't be affected by changes such as the removal of free movement as the previous treaty agreement will stay in force. That'll protect those living abroad, but not those who have yet to move. 

In 24 days, we'll find out. 

Playing the Man, not the ball.

It's just around 6 weeks until the UK's referendum on leaving the EU. For the love of God, shoot me now and end to end the madness. I hate to voice my own political opinions with anyone, as it's a great way to loose friends and annoy people, but the referendum has me feeling the need to 'blow off steam'. So here goes. 

Wanted: facts. 

The title of this post is taken from and old footballing phrase relating to a foul. Playing the man, not the ball kind of sums up the various referendum campaigns at the moment. It's become a familiar pattern from both sides. It goes like this.

1. Side A brings out a statistic that can't quite be proved, but offers a point of discussion. 

2. In Response, side B the retaliates by claiming the person who made the announcement on side A is delusional. The key is to ignore the talking point entirely. 

3. Now side B releases a list of some guys on their side.

4. Side A immediately attack the side B spokesman, but says nothing about the list. 

5. And repeat ad nauseam.  

It's really annoying, and at the minute, the leave campaign seem to be the worst offenders. What we need are facts. So far the Leave campaign have failed to come up with a good explanation of what life after a no vote whole be like. We've been told we could have a relationship with the EU like Canada, or Norway, or Albania, or Switzerland or.....and so it goes on. To date, no definitive plan on this has been put forward, which makes it hard to vote for something that's undecided. 

Then there's the Single market itself. Apparently we'll have full access to the single market, but not pay in, or have free movement, or indeed be bound by their rules. Which is odd, given that those three things seem to be non negotiable.  Then again, Vote Leave Co-Chairman Michael Gove has said we not even need access to the single market. Hmmmmm. Again, there's no clear 'we will do this, this is our plan' type of thing from Vote Leave. Instead, depending on who is speaking, the idea seems to wander around from WTO rules to others and back again.

Vote Leave aren't the only ones being a bit fanciful. Better Together have been up there with the rhetoric. For the most part, the In campaign should have an easier job. The argument is simple, stay as we are. But it would be great if the in campaign could highlight a positive now and again. Most of the campaign has focuses on the economic risks of a No vote. It's a pretty good argument, as leaving would absolutely cause some form of disruption to the UK economy and the European on at that. But every time you hear the figures, they've gone up. It's something along the lines of this.

Hi, here's a £1. 

Thanks.

It's a good thing gave you that £2.

What?

That £5 will see you good. 

Hang on.

So that £10 is great, right. 

But...

Yeah £20 is fantastic. 

And it continues. After all, who doesn't need £50. 

Perhaps the biggest miscalculation on the stay side has been David Cameron's claims that leaving the EU would bring about WWIII! He was obviously looking to play up the peace that the EU has brought since WWII, But by damn he ran with it and now if we leave, it's going to be the actual 'end of the world' 

Spectre's of WWII.

World War 2 was inevitably going to be dragged into the debate at some point. Last week began with both sides arguing over who could claim Winston Churchill, with Churchill's own grandson claiming that the Wartime prime minister he would be on the 'in' side. But the biggest blunder of the week goes to prominent No Campaigner, Boris Johnson. He invoked Hitler, along with Napoleon, as examples of attempts to forge a united single Europe, albeit with different methods than the EU. It matters not of course whether Boris had a point. Comparing the EU and Hitler is always going to end badly. The Spectre of genocide is ever present with Hitler's name and to say that EU has 'similar aims' will inevitably draw criticism. Alarmingly, several Leave campaigners have rallied behind Boris, insisting his comparison was 'historically accurate' in terms of a Single european state. It matters not what the point was, Hitler should stay dead and far away from the debate at hand. 

Far more to come. 

June 23rd is still a long way away, and the next few weeks are going to see the campaigning ratchet up and up. With the poles currently sitting at 50/50, the only thing certain is that come June 24th there are going to be a lot of unhappy people. I fear the chaos won't end after the result either.