Borough & parish councillor for Leckhampton, former Cheltenham MP & former MEP
Early votes have been taking place in the European Parliament on Boris’s Brexit deal. They suggest it will be passed when the full Parliament votes tomorrow. But I’m finding more and more reasons to vote against it.
Early votes have been taking place in the European Parliament on Boris’s Brexit deal. They suggest it will be passed when the full Parliament votes tomorrow. But I’m finding more and more reasons to vote against it.
Last week in Brussels at my last European Parliament foreign affairs committee I grilled a Saudi minister who bravely attended – an opportunity I never got as a Westminster MP
Last week in Brussels at my last European Parliament foreign affairs committee I grilled a Saudi minister who bravely attended on their human rights record – an opportunity I never got as a Westminster MP.
I had the chance to speak up for citizens’ rights in the European Parliament this week. I paid tribute to Guy Verhofstadt for his focus on EU27 citizens’ rights in the UK & the rights of Brits in the EU.
Plus a surprising model for EU associate individual citizenship…
I have told many constituents that I share their wish to find a solution that will allow UK citizens to retain their EU citizenship on an individual basis, and fully support associate EU citizenship as a possible course of action.
Liberal Democrat MEPs sit with the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament. I actively lobbied my Renew colleague, Guy Verhofstadt, the Chair of the European Parliament’s Brexit Steering Group, to keep pushing the European Commission and European Council to grant associate citizenship for UK nationals after Brexit.
As the Parliament’s lead Brexit negotiator, Guy is also responsible for drawing up a recommendation for Parliament on whether to approve or reject the Withdrawal Agreement. MEPs from all groups in Parliament are currently negotiating a motion that sets out the conditions that need to be met for Parliament to approve the Withdrawal Agreement.
Section 20 of the motion offers an opportunity to pave the way for future discussions on associate citizenship for UK citizens, which I lobbied Guy to include. The motion was still being negotiated between all the groups last week and, of course, we have to be realistic about the chances of the EU and its remaining Member States agreeing to this. But I will continue to fight hard for associate citizenship, and we asked Guy for this section to be strengthened even further if it is possible to do so. The motion for a resolution will be put to a vote in the full European Parliament this Wednesday.
Since being elected on 23 May, all 16 Liberal Democrat MEPs have worked tirelessly with MEP colleagues from Renew Europe to highlight the damage Brexit will do to the UK and to our relationship with Europe. We will continue to push for associate citizenship with the EU and will vote for it at every opportunity. We will also press for the closest possible relationship between the UK and the EU after Brexit to ensure UK citizens’ rights in the EU27 and EU27 citizens’ rights in the UK are protected.
Yesterday in the European Parliament I raised the contradiction between Foreign Sec Raab’s support for JCPOA (the Iran nuclear deal) and Boris Johnson’s call to replace it with a ‘Trump deal’.
Yesterday in the European Parliament I raised the contradiction between Foreign Sec Raab’s support for JCPOA (the Iran nuclear deal) and Boris Johnson’s call to replace it with a ‘Trump deal’.
EU foreign
If you’re worried about pedestrianisation, traffic congestion and public transport, take a look at how one European city has tackled them – and the climate emergency.
The Middle East poses very difficult questions but, acting together, the EU and its Member states can be a force for good in this troubled region. From Israel and Palestine to Iran, the European Union is working to promote dialogue and reconciliation and the fight for human rights.
Our British and European democracy needs to be protected from covert foreign interference and while the ISC Russia Report remains locked in Boris Johnson’s desk, the European Parliament was still at work last week for Lib Dem MEPs to ring the alarm bell.
Our British and European democracy needs to be protected from covert foreign interference and while the ISC Russia Report remains locked in Boris Johnson’s desk, the European Parliament was still at work last week for Lib Dem MEPs to ring the alarm bell.
I had the chance to visit Tellisford Mill in Somerset where they’re generating enough micro-hydro power to power their home plus 100 more in the local area! This is just one of many exciting new renewable energy schemes in the South West and across the UK that are shaping our greener future and working to tackle the climate emergency.
I had the chance to visit Tellisford Mill in Somerset where they’re generating enough micro-hydro power to power their home plus 100 more in the local area! This is just one of many exciting new renewable energy schemes in the South West and across the UK that are shaping our greener future and working to tackle the climate emergency.
Meanwhile, the conservative group in the European Parliament hosted a very surprising meeting on climate change…
One of the most serious and important collaborations by European countries through the EU has been in fighting the deadly Ebola virus – through humanitarian aid, vaccine development and improving health systems.
It breaks my heart that Brexit could jeopardise British participation in programmes like this.
One of the most serious and important collaborations by European countries through the EU has been in fighting the deadly Ebola virus – through humanitarian aid, vaccine development and improving health systems.
It breaks my heart that Brexit could jeopardise British participation in programmes like this.
Westminster MPs may have ceased to exist for now but MEPs are still hard at work defending the rights of Brits abroad and fellow Europeans who have made their careers, homes and families in the UK.
Westminster MPs may have ceased to exist for now but MEPs are still hard at work defending the rights of Brits abroad and fellow Europeans who have made their careers, homes and families in the UK.
Of course, we wouldn’t have to worry about this if we just stop Brexit! Those rights would be guaranteed.
Let’s get back to the things that really matter – from health and social care to tackling the climate crisis.