The first issue being discussed in the negotiations with the EU is the one concerning citizens rights. We were told this would be the easiest to reach an agreement on. Today (HERE) writing in The Guardian, eight leaders of the main groups in the EU parliament have signed a letter saying the present UK government proposals do not go far enough and create second class citizens in the UK. Guy Verhofstadt, speaking to the Today programme on Radio 4 this morning, was challenged that what the EU is asking for would give EU citizens in the UK more rights than British citizens.
He maintained that the parliament cannot accept any reductions in EU citizens rights as they are now. But he didn't say, as he could have done, that it is not the EU asking for more rights for their citizens but the British government giving the rest of us fewer rights. Far from it being easy it is proving far more contentious. The clock is ticking and DEXEU is soon going to have to decide if they will make serious concessions and show the weakness of our position, or refuse to give ground and put the prospect of any agreement at risk.
Vote Leave gave unequivocal assurances that any new immigration system would not affect EU citizens already in the country. “There will be no change for EU citizens already lawfully resident in the UK,” it said, promising on its website that such people would “automatically be granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK and will be treated no less favourably than they are at present”.
However, more than this, the MEPs are saying they will veto any proposal to extend the March 2019 deadline because this would mean the UK participating in EU parliamentary elections later in 2019 and they say this is impossible. More pressure is being applied and this coincides with UK industry raising their voice more loudly to avoid a cliff edge when we leave. It is easy to see that the closer we get to this immovable deadline, the greater will be the pressure on the UK government from all sides.
