MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
European Parliament rejects point blank PM May offer on citizens' rights
European Parliament’s lead Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt has rejected Theresa May’s offer on citizens’ rights, claiming it was casting a “dark cloud” over people’s status. In a joint article with a cross-party group of senior MEPs, Mr Verhofstadt said the Prime Minister’s plan was a “damp squib” which carried a risk of creating “second-class citizenship”. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesThe European Courts should play no role in the UK post Brexit. EU Citiziens already resident in the UK will get the same rights as British citizens, the point is the EU has not guaranteed anything with regard to British expats living in the EU yet.
Jul 11th, 2017 - 06:37 am - Link - Report abuse +3“This is a question of the basic fundamental rights and values that are at the heart of the European project.” - which part of Britain is LEAVING the failed European project does this moron not grasp?
Jul 11th, 2017 - 07:38 am - Link - Report abuse +3The EU court is making these demands because they think they have the upper hand in the negotiations... and they do. Almost certainly May will compromise.
Jul 11th, 2017 - 11:02 am - Link - Report abuse -1Its not the European court its the parliament and Guy Verhofstadt in particular who is a complete idiot. Britain is leaving the EU to get away from people like him.
Jul 11th, 2017 - 12:26 pm - Link - Report abuse +3The European Court will have no say over a foreign sovereign nation as that will be what we will after Brexit.
Jul 11th, 2017 - 12:34 pm - Link - Report abuse +3Sorry, meant to write EU Parliament. Doesn't matter if Guy Verhofstadt is an idiot, the parliament still gets to vote on any deal we can arrange.
Jul 11th, 2017 - 12:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0We can choose to leave the ECJ and the EU can refuse something we want. Or we can agree to stay in and get something in return. Negotiation involves compromise, maybe on this or maybe on something else.
“The European Parliament will reserve its right to reject any agreement that treats EU citizens, regardless of their nationality, less favorably than they are at present.”
Jul 11th, 2017 - 05:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Shouldn't they be rejecting Brexit then...all UK citizens are EU citizens that will be losing their rights to travel and live in Europe unhindered...
Or are UK/EU citizens second class citizens...?
Voice
Jul 11th, 2017 - 05:39 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Yes.
Turkeys may get a vote on Christmas, but it still happens. Britain voted to leave the EU and the present government has decided to effect that. Article 50 has been served, despite the efforts of the remoaners. Britain will leave. If there is a good agreement with the EU it will benefit everyone, if not Britain will leave. But at some stage the UK will stop subsidising the EU nonsense, which still includes moving the parliament regularly to Stratsburg and the UK taxpayers money will be spent in the UK not on expensive haircuts for Junker and Tusk.
Jul 11th, 2017 - 05:45 pm - Link - Report abuse +2@Voice
Jul 11th, 2017 - 07:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Aren't they talking only about EU citizens already living in Britain? Perhaps they do intend to include the UK citizens currently living in the EU too?
@Ann Other
Well yeah, the turkeys have voted for Christmas and thus we are stuck in this mess.
No deal would be bad for both the UK and the remaining EU, but the UK will suffer more from losing access to 27 markets than the 27 from losing access to 1.
It's a shame the money we'll save paying into the EU probably won't make up for the money we lose by not having access to it, but at least you can feel happy you are only buying haircuts for one lot of useless politicians.
It's obvious that the other 27 nations who can't agree on anything intend to make things as awkward as possible for Britain. The only things that get through are the directives from bureaucrats and the unelected Trumpton gang, the EU Commission.
Jul 11th, 2017 - 07:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Ann Other
Jul 11th, 2017 - 10:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Britain voted to leave the EU”
“Britain” did not vote to leave the EU
17,410,742 people voted to leave the EU
Out of an electorate of 46,501,241
Out of a population of 65.14 million
...and only two countries out of the four that comprise the UK voted to leave...
That is hardly Britain voted to leave the EU...
DemonTree
That is not what the statement says..are they forgetting that UK citizens are still EU citizens...
@Voice
Jul 12th, 2017 - 09:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0Hmmm, by the time these agreements come into effect we won't be EU citizens anymore. :(
I daresay they would object if other countries tried to give British citizens less rights before then.
@Voice. Do you have a problem uderstanding democracy? For a start, none of the four countries that comprise the UK were given a vote. The referendum was run under the same rules that apply to General Elections. Okay with you if we cancel the result of the 2005 General Election? Blair “won” that with a margin LESS than the one Leave obtained. The only important figure in your comment was that of the UK electorate. The rest don't count. Never have. Can you get it through your head that a margin of ONE vote would have been enough?
Jul 12th, 2017 - 02:20 pm - Link - Report abuse +2And what's all this about UK citizens being EU citizens? I wasn't asked if I wanted to be an EU citizen. It was imposed on me. So that the EU could puff out its chest. As far as I'm concerned any UK citizens demanding to retain their “EU citizenship” are the greedy and the lazy. Wherever I may travel, can I go to the EU consulate and ask to be protected or assisted? No. “EU citizenship” is effectively meaningless except when the EU wants to use it as a bludgeon. Name the (non-EU) independent sovereign states that accept that “EU citizens” must be accorded the “rights” that they are “given” within EU territory. And don't forget to annotate the list to show those that accept the jurisdiction of the ECJ. I'd like to accuse you of being misled by EU propaganda. However, I suspect that you are a Scottish-resident, SNP, “EU citizen” Remainer.
The way I see it, the United Kingdom is MY country. I have the tax bills to prove it. It's moving back, too slowly, to being an independent, sovereign state. In fact, I have two countries. The UK and England. That's enough for anyone. I want my taxes spent for my benefit, not the benefit of those not prepared to work to be successful. In the 1500 years between the departure of the thieving Romans and the “arrival” of the thieving EEC, who helped us? Whatever we achieved, we achieved ourselves whilst fighting off greedy “neighbours”.
Yay Conqueror is alive, I tell you... ALIVE!!!
Jul 12th, 2017 - 05:43 pm - Link - Report abuse +1You are an old yin...all old yins voted...out...
I'm guessing you don't bother travelling to Europe much either... so don't care...
Some of us are not going to like these restrictions imposed upon us by all the old yins that won't be around for long anyway....
The future is not yours it's ours....
@Conqueror
Jul 13th, 2017 - 12:00 am - Link - Report abuse -1”Name the (non-EU) independent sovereign states that accept that “EU citizens” must be accorded the “rights” that they are “given” within EU territory.”
Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein. The latter three are subject to the EFTA court instead but it follows the ECJ.
The UK is not your country, and neither is England. It belongs to all of us. By voting for Brexit you've taken FAR more rights away from your fellow Brits than from any other Europeans. For smart, ambitious people, the EU is an opportunity, not a threat.
There is no such thing as an EU Citizen per say, we are all nationals of one member country or another that happen to be a member of the EU(aka Fourth Reich). So unless one is going to claim citizenship of a nation remaining in the EU there is no prospect of anyone getting the allegedly coveted EU Citizenship.
Jul 13th, 2017 - 05:36 am - Link - Report abuse 0“So unless one is going to claim citizenship of a nation remaining in the EU there is no prospect of anyone getting the allegedly coveted EU Citizenship.”
Jul 13th, 2017 - 03:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Many people have been doing just that, and some people in the EU were talking about finding a way for British people who want to, to keep their EU citizenship. But I'm not going to get too hopeful.
DT
Jul 13th, 2017 - 07:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It could save you from forking out for a new passport !!
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