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.
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.
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.
Find out why one trade agreement with the Solomon Islands is taking us closer to tackling the climate emergency – and why that means we need to stop Brexit.
Westminster MPs recessed, then prorogued, now dissolved altogether. Don’t worry, your Members of the European Parliament are still hard at work!
Find out why one trade agreement with the Solomon Islands is taking us closer to tackling the climate emergency – and why that means we need to stop Brexit.
Science matters, so I visited the Royal Society to get a better understanding of the impact Brexit is already having on UK science and the impact actually leaving might have.
The best deal for the future of British science is the one we already have. We must stop Brexit to safeguard the future of British science.
I recently voted and spoke out against Turkish President Erdoğan’s invasion of northern Syria in the European Parliament.
I recently voted and spoke out against Turkish President Erdoğan’s invasion of northern Syria in the European Parliament.
As we reflect on the latest news from the Turkey/Syria border it has never been more important for all EU 28 countries, including the UK, to speak with one strong voice on foreign policy whenever we can.
Caroline Voaden and I met up for coffee and a chat this week to get our heads around the recent dramatic Withdrawal Agreement Bill vote in Westminster, and what happens next here in the European Parliament.
Little by little, MEPs like me are using our positions in the European Parliament to turn words into real action on climate change and deforestation.