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Martin Horwood MEP speaks out on citizens’ rights post-Brexit

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.


Thank you

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Thank you. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve the people of Cheltenham for ten years, so far, as your MP.  We have won many battles together – to protect local health services, keep treasured green spaces and win investment in the town and its public transport system in particular.  I will keep on fighting for those causes and for this town.

Thank you too for all the kind messages for me and my family which I have received since the election.  Cheltenham has a big heart.

To those of you who voted for me, and resisted the overwhelming professional marketing campaign dropped on us and many other LibDems from a great height by Tory central office and their millions, thank you so much for putting your trust in me again.  I’m so sorry we didn’t win it for you this time.

To those who voted Labour or Green, I understand your desire to vote for what you may have believed but, as we warned, it has helped to achieve the exact opposite of what you wanted under our rotten voting system, helping our new Tory MP into office and the Conservatives into a majority government.

To those who switched to Conservative to stop Ed Miliband and the SNP, I’m afraid the Tories’ real objective has now been achieved: to rule on their own, committed to deeper and faster cuts than any other party.  There will be no tax rises for the wealthiest now, but there will be a referendum on Europe that could prove as divisive as the Scottish one and lose us vital jobs, and a confrontation with the SNP in Scotland that could put the union at risk all over again.  It’s a grim prospect but the Liberal Democrats will keep battling for a fairer approach, just as we did in government.

Your new MP’s office address is:

Alex Chalk MP

Gloucestershire Conservatives

Regent Court

Gloucester Business Park GL3 4AD

Finally, thank you too to all those who were part of the LibDem volunteer army in Cheltenham that fought back like tigers against the Tory marketing machine.  You made me so proud to be a Cheltenham Liberal Democrat. It was the most phenomenal team effort I’ve ever seen and it bodes very well for this local party in the future.

If you want to join us in the fight back, click here.

Thank you again.

Martin