As Electioneering gets under way-what type of voter are you?

A new opinion poll on voters in the Spanish election has been published by the advertising agency Vitruvio Leo Burnett working with the GAD, Gabinete de Análisis Demoscópico.

But instead of determining voters intentions they have tried to establish what sort of person votes for each of the parties...
The Socialist voters prefer brunettes, watch more Spanish cinema and use more cosmetics, while the Partido Popular supporters like bullfighting, taking a siesta, using cologne and have a preference for blondes.

Supporters of the various nationalist parties in Spain are those who drink most beer, and the left wing IU supporters enjoy modern art, sport and new technology.

Some of the findings are not surprising, PP voters drink most wine, for example, and read most newspapers, but also most gossip press, while there are more Socialist vegetarians and nationalists are confirmed meat eaters.

One thing supporters of the two main parties do have in common – they both prefer whiskey to brandy.

Source Typically Spanish news

Brits asked for "voluntary tax" to legalise homes

Residents in the inland village of Vinuela on the Eastern Costa del Sol have received letters from the local town hall asking for "voluntary payments" of between six and twelve thousand euro's, to make their homes legal.

Most of the people affected are British or German, and they have said that they will be forming a protest group to protect their rights and to "denounce" this odd system of collecting tax.

Some residents it seems have already made the payments for fear of losing their properties, but the action group that attracted 300 people to its first meeting, claimed they will be fighting om behalf of everybody involved.

The letters are dated from the time the illegal building started and are stamped by the town hall, but have no signature and no return address.

Banderas in demolition row

Even the rich and famous are not exempt from the illegal building row, as Malaga's famous film star son, Antonio Banderas has found out.
Banderas who bought his beach front home in Marbella eleven years ago was issued with a demolition order, affecting a 300sq metre wing of the property, in 2003.

His lawyers failed to get the order overturned and Banderas has now been told he has eight weeks to demolish the offending wing.

The star was told that the original permission for the "extension" to the property was illegal and that it had been built on land designated for public use.

Neighbours of Banderas have argued that he is the victim of corrupt town hall officials who allowed the property to be built on illegally reclassified land for backhanders.
The wing was built by a previous owner.

British couple watch dream turn to nightmare

A British couple who moved to Spain to build their dream home in the sun, watched their dream disappear as the home was demolished.

Despite buying the land legally and receiving planning permission for the villa in 2002, the regional government deemed the planning permission given by the local town hall was illegal.

The regional government claimed that the property had been built on land that was considered "green belt", and won a court order to for its demolition.

The couple's solicitor has said that he will be lodging a claim for 600,000 euros compensation, for their home and damages for the stress that the couple have been through.

Spain tops pedestrian deaths

A new survey by EuroTest and the RACC drivers association has reported that more pedestrians are killed crossing roads in Spain than any other European country.

The survey found that 680 pedestrians were killed while crossing or walking alongside Spanish roads in 2006.
The findings have prompted calls for the Spanish traffic Authorities and the public to work to improve road safety. The report found that an amazing 91% of pedestrian deaths in 2005, were found not to be using pedestrian or zebra crossings.

As a consequence signs have been added to crossings in Barcelona, warning that "One in every three people killed in traffic accidents were on foot."