Why my vote is important to me

Why my vote is important to me

Jul 10, 2021 | News, Votes for Life

The long-promised return of our democratic voting rights will be welcomed by British citizens across the world. Those who have lived abroad for more than 15 years have fallen foul of the arbitrary rule denying them voting rights in UK elections and referendums.

As we follow the progress of the Elections Bill, we look forward to the day when the government will finally keep its manifesto promises. But not all British citizens in the UK feel the same way. Many back in the UK believe we have turned our back on our country, and should not have a say on government matters, even when they affect us directly. Apparently, we have “lost interest” in UK life and politics.

We were fairly certain our members would disagree, so we asked them why the return of their voting rights was so important to them. This is what a few of them had to say ……………

Jeff Myers

Although I live in Spain I have family and friends in the UK, so it is important to me to be able to vote regardless of how long I have lived outside the UK.

Helen Johnston

Contrary to what many seem to think, what our government does still affects us in many ways. Its foreign policies and actions affect how we are seen and treated abroad, and we still have family and friends there whose future we care about. Many British abroad also still pay UK taxes, have UK pensions or are even employed or have businesses there. Linking voting rights to taxpaying is a dangerous, slippery slope, however, it shouldn’t matter where you live or whether you pay taxes, the right to vote is a fundamental human right of all citizens.

Nicole Conroy

I want my vote returned to me so that the next time somebody comes up with a stupid idea, like Brexit, and leads Britain into disaster I would like to be able to do something to stop them. Added to this I am Mancunian and our beloved Emily Pankhurst did not fight to get women the vote for some idiots to take it away.

Pat Kennedy

No one, surely, likes a right to vote being denied.

Richard Milner

I have had the right to exercise to vote since I was 21. To be denied the right is an infringement. Ever since Cameron was elected and came up with the stupid Brexit vote, I would like to be able to stop something as stupid happening again 

Linda Stebbings

Our pensions are Crown pensions as well as having family and grandchildren still living and working in the UK. Therefore, if we are paying into the UK tax system we should be entitled to vote. 

Ruth Woodhouse

Events of 2016 and beyond obviously highlighted the injustice of the current situation, in that many were denied a vote in the EU referendum – and, again importantly, the General Election of 2017 (an election largely based around Brexit) – the outcome having life-changing ramifications for British citizens who had chosen to move from one part of the EU to another on the basis that their rights to freedom of movement, and all that this entailed, were guaranteed. I personally still contribute in taxes paid on my pensions, on property I own in the UK, etc., and I believe I have a right to a say in how that money is used and a say in policies that directly affect my life.

Michael Soffe

Having lost my vote in the UK elections many years ago, and having now had my vote stolen from me in European elections owing to Brexit, it is not a “good” feeling to realise you have no vote anywhere in elections that will be of any importance on your future. I also have pension rights in the UK and I want to make sure these are protected. 

Sian Shaw

I moved to Spain on retirement, but have family and property in the UK, pay tax on my public service pension there and on my property income: I am deeply concerned by the present disastrous political situation. I would lose my right to vote this year unless the new legislation takes effect. 

Linda Theaker

Like it or not, as UK citizens, there are many decisions taken by politicians that affect us directly – Brexit being a typical example. It is absolutely essential that we should be able to vote. I also have interests in the UK, still have to pay some tax in the UK (despite being a fiscal resident here in Spain), and have my family in the UK. What happens to them is very much my concern.

Diana Thurston

I am still a British citizen and I still have a house in Britain where I spend time each year…I should be able to vote in the country where I hold nationality.

Richard Sweeting

Many, many years ago I lost my right to vote in the UK and I would like it restored to enable me to show my agreement or displeasure with the Government of the day over international affairs such as Brexit. 

Roy Stonebridge

There are things that affect us overseas, such as Brexit, the UK economy, pensions and exchange rates and it important to have a say on those issues. 

Ruth Hag

I’ve served my country over my lifetime in the NHS and later on with social services helping others less able. Now that I’ve been retired in Spain for many years , I just want to be able to vote (in my own tiny way) to ensure that these services remain secure in the future.

Dorothy Morgan

I am still a UK citizen and depend on my UK pension and a couple of small private pensions. So I feel I have a right to defend my future here in Spain by choosing the political party that is best for me.

Victoria Robinson

I have one Passport and it’s a British Passport, I’m still a British citizen and have a right to be able to vote. I particularly like the idea of having an MP for expats.

Margaret Meg Metcalfe

I am a British citizen and will always remain so. The fact that I executed my right to move to another country in my retirement has no bearing on the fact that the right to vote is a fundamental human right of all citizens. I have a state pension and also a Crown pension, you actually get those for having served your country in some way. I’m a descendent of friends of Emily Pankhurst, who fought alongside her to get the vote for women. They must now be turning in their graves that both men and women have had their votes stolen from them.

Sue Wilson

Like it or not, they are still my government. They have the power to make decisions that directly affect my life in Spain & my mother’s life in a care home in the UK. I rely on a British state pension as my only source of income & the UK government are directly responsible for paying for my healthcare. So, yes, what happens in the UK is very important to me & I want my say!

Nicholas Thorp

Due to the lack of a dual nationality agreement between Spain and the UK, I am unable to exercise my democratic right to vote in anything except local elections in Spain, unless I give up my British nationality. And next year due to the 15-year limit on expat voting rights, I will lose my vote in the UK too. How is Europe democratic if it allows that to happen?

Stewart Luscott-Evans

I have 6 British children, and yet none of us were permitted to participate in any way in the 2016 referendum which stripped us all of our European Union citizenship, despite repeated undertakings in Conservative manifestos.  To say I feel betrayed and angry by the lies of the Leave campaign and the UK government since then is an understatement.

Patrick Howarth

More than anything the fact that I was not allowed to vote in the referendum makes me furious.

David Rosemont

I really object to having no vote anywhere anymore.

Guy Brook-Hart

Brexit has had an effect on many British people with ties to Spain.  Those, like myself, who have lived in Spain for more than 15 years, were disenfranchised and unable to participate in the referendum which affected us more than most other people.  I don’t know if allowing us to vote would have affected the result, but I do think our opinion should have counted.

Martin Lister

I would like the Conservative party promise of being allowed to vote in U.K. elections to be delivered

Valerie Chaplin 

Having lost my vote both in the UK, with the 15-year rule, and here in Spain due to Brexit, I feel totally disenfranchised. Even though I moved to Spain, my pensions and healthcare are still governed by the UK, and I have no say in the outcome. I paid into the system all my life.  

I also have no say on what happens in the UK that affects my friends and family there. 

Lisa Burton 

As a British national living in Spain for 11 years, I have already paid enough tax in the UK to qualify for a full British state pension. I will also pay tax on a private pension, when it matures, to the British government. I have an 18-year-old established company in England that pays significant sums of VAT and corporation tax to the British government while employing individuals and their families. Like many British nationals living overseas, I have adult children who live in Britain, elderly parents and extended family, so, of course, I am deeply invested in the political policies of my home nation as it still affects myself, my business and my family. Also, many of us will end up returning to the UK in our old age to spend time with family and grandchildren or to get support as we age, so links are rarely severed, and strong connections remain. We are the representatives of our home nations while we live abroad and closer ties, more recognition, including a vote for life from our government would certainly have a huge ‘soft power’ benefit to the UK. Something this government seem to have forgotten about. 

Mike Phillips 

I have 3 children and 7 grandchildren in UK, many of whose lives have already been adversely affected or restricted by Brexit. I have lived in Spain for 16 years and pay tax on my Armed Forces and Civil Services pension despite having been disenfranchised, so being able to have a say in decisions made in the UK is very important to me. This is a breach of my fundamental human rights. 

 

“Black Lives Matter is a Marxist Organisation”

“Black Lives Matter is a Marxist Organisation”

Jul 7, 2021 | Bylines, News

Bremain Vice Chair, Lisa Burton, recently wrote this piece about the alleged Black Lives Matter links to Marxism for Yorkshire Bylines:

 

We hear it from politicians, celebrities, political commentators, and those who have launched a so-called ‘war on wokeness’ – ‘Black Lives Matter is Marxist’. It has played out most recently through the discussion of football teams deciding to ‘take the knee’ to show solidarity with the movement and stand against racism in the European Championships.

It is not the first time a social movement or individuals who have fought for equality and equal rights has been labelled as Communist or Marxist. But why? What does this mean, why is it perceived as such a threat, and is it true?

 

What is Marxism?

Very simply, Marxism is a theory that states the world is split into two classes of people: capitalists and workers. Capitalists exploit workers, and the conflict between these two classes deeply drives the history of humans. Social change (or, in its absence, social stagnation) results from the conflict between these classes.

Marxism envisioned the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism by the proletariat (working-class people), and the preparation of the state eventually for a classless communist society.

However, Marxism is theoretical and in modern times, usually means analysing social change through an economic lens, with the assumption that the rich and the poor should become equal.

Historically, communism has often been feared or seen as a threat to western society.

In the 1940s and 1950s, American Senator Joseph McCarthy made public accusations of “card-carrying communists” within the US government. His charges were proven untrue, but his campaigning ushered in one of the most repressive times in 20th-century American politics.

Just three weeks before Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination, an FBI report (not released for 50 years) tried to discredit him while also labelling him a secret supporter of communism, “a whole-hearted Marxist”.

No evidence exists that verifies any of the claims in the report, yet it shows how even then, Marxism was being tied to the fight for racial equality.

 

What is the Black Lives Matter movement?

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is an international social movement against racism made up of a broad array of people and organisations. The organisation that initially took the name Black Lives Matter (which is not trademarked and therefore can be used by anyone) was founded in 2013 by three women: Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi.

All were community organisers  who set up the group in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman. On 26 February 2012, the neighbourhood watch volunteer fatally shot unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida. In 2015, one of these founders stated that she and another founder were “trained Marxists”.

In response to the deaths of many black Americans at the hands of the police, BLM activists became involved in numerous protests in 2014 and 2015, and by 2016 the originators expanded their project into over 30 local chapters.

Then, in 2020, George Floyd’s murder was broadcast around the world. An estimated 15–26 million people protested in America alone; soon, the protests spread across the globe, encompassing people from every nationality and every walk of life who had decided enough was enough.

Within the BLM movement, an ‘official group’ managed to get the verified tick on Twitter. Still, there is no natural hierarchy or structure to the campaign, contributing to confusion in the press and public.

It would be nonsensical to say that 15–26 million people in America are Marxist or that those who marched across the world’s streets are communists. Black Lives Matter is not a single organisation but a fluid movement; it doesn’t matter if one of its founders was a liberal, Marxist, socialist or capitalist.

There is also an assumption that the BLM movement is violent. We all saw pictures broadcast from America of rioting and property damage. However, the facts don’t justify that. As this Harvard study shows, 96.3 percent of events involved no property damage or police injuries, and in 97.7 percent of events, no injuries were reported among participants, bystanders or police

Another common criticism you see on social media is that BLM wants to destroy the nuclear family (defined as a family unit that includes two married parents of opposite genders and their biological or adopted children living in the same residence). This statement seemed to focus on much of the Marxist label, and it does come from one of BLM’s stated goals which is:

 

 

“We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement, by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another; especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.”

This statement is very much along the lines of ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. They want to dispel the notion that the traditional family structure is the only way to ensure neighbourhood stability and vitality.

Some may not think it an ideal policy but considering the modern makeup of so many families is now one of diversity, it is a bit of a leap to consider BLM has the power to destroy the family structure.

The truth is, the statement is perceived as a threat to the patriarchy.

In a rapidly changing world, some white people, and white men in particular, feel their societal standing is being diminished by those traditionally deemed to be of a lower class in society, such as women and people of colour

 

Taking the knee

Similarly, taking the knee has been equated by BLM critics to supporting Marxism. They often label it as a ‘political act’ or state that taking the knee is associated with George Floyd.

It was somehow honouring him as a ‘career criminal’.

The gesture, however, has a long history. Dr Martin Luther King Jr took the knee in 1965 while leading a prayer outside the Dallas County Alabama Courthouse, along with several other civil rights marchers after the group, of about 250, were arrested for parading without a permit.

Only a few years later, in 1968, the now-iconic photo was captured of African American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos with raised gloved fists when they received their gold and bronze medals at that year’s Olympics Games.

 

They were booed by the crowd, expelled from the Olympic village, blocked from competing in future US squads, and even found employment outside the sports complex. Their actions, however, cemented the gesture as a way for athletes to use their sport as a platform to draw attention to racial inequality.

The most significant influencer in the gesture of taking the knee, by far, was NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. In 2016, he and his teammates took the knee before a game to draw attention to the undeniable police brutality inflicted on black Americans.

Kaepernick was advised by a white ex-serviceman, Nate Boyer, that kneeling was a more respectful gesture than simply remaining in the changing room during the national anthem.

Reactions were highly polarised, and after that season, Colin Kaepernick, despite being a top player, never played in the NFL again.

 

So is the BLM movement Marxist?

Multiple studies have shown there is no evidence to suggest that the BLM movement is Marxist. It is hugely diverse, and its support for gender identity politics sets it apart from historical Marxism. The goals listed on its website do not appear to be overtly anti-capitalist. Black Lives Matter and taking the knee both started to protest the unfair treatment of black Americans but have now become a global symbol of fighting racism, nothing more.

The real question is, why do those in power try to deride and dilute the BLM message? Well, it’s not that complicated.

The top of the pyramid of power and privilege has been almost exclusively white and male for hundreds of years. They see a rapidly changing world where sectors of society, whether that be by women, people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, pushing for a society where they are treated equal and have equal opportunities.

People who cannot let go of traditional thinking fear power going to those they have always perceived as lower down the societal ladder than them. Society is weighted against minorities and those on low incomes, and many think that promoting minority interests will diminish their own interests and threaten their standing in society.

There are no valid reasons for fearing or deriding the BLM movement just as there was no reason to fear the Martin Luther King movement.

It is about changing society by ensuring everyone enjoys the same rights and opportunities, regardless of race, gender, or sex, not removing rights from the rest of the community and as a non-black person, Black Lives Matter allows us to open ourselves up to listen, and accept the experiences of others, even if we haven’t experienced them ourselves.

 

Bremainers Ask – Terry Reintke MEP

Bremainers Ask – Terry Reintke MEP

Jul 1, 2021 | Bremainers Ask, News

Terry Reintke is Vice-president of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament and the group’s coordinator for the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. She is Co-president of the LGBTI Intergroup and founder of the EU-UK Friendship Group.

She studied political science in Berlin and Edinburgh. She was spokesperson of the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) before entering the European Parliament in 2014. She was featured in TIME magazine’s coverage for Person of the Year 2017 as part of the “Silence Breakers” speaking out against sexual abuse and harassment.

 

Michael Soffe : As I have lost my vote in European elections in Spain due to Brexit, do you think the EU should consider giving us disenfranchised residents in the EU our vote back, as we have no voice in Europe despite paying taxes in our European county of residence?

Hey Michael, we Greens have fought to expand the right to vote for a long time. We will continue to try to give a voice to those who are currently disenfranchised. It is important that we build a strong civil society, that voices their opinion and is strong enough to push for change. Giving voting rights to third party citizens is ultimately a decision by the member states. We can and will push from a European level for them to do so, but it remains difficult.

 

Alan Brown : How do you view cooperation with British political parties and organisations to change the mindset not only of the public, but politicians, in relation to climate change?

Hey Alan, cooperation is what made the European Union strong and why, with all its flaws, it is still the strongest concept we have to tackle huge challenges. And I think we can agree that climate change right now is humankind’s biggest challenge yet. So we have to absolutely work together and British politicians and the public are as much required as are Europeans. Only together we can bring on change. I am also really looking forward to further EU-UK cooperation on this when the COP 26 will come to Glasgow later this year.

Pat Kennedy : How much damage, if any, do you think that the UK’s exit has done to the EU?

Hey Pat, that is a hard question to give a short answer to, because I think there is more than one dimension to it. On an economic level as well as trade-wise I think the damage to the EU may be noticeable, but not as impactful as formerly claimed by Brexiteers. The damage done to the trusting relationship or to the peace situation in Europe remains however more severe. Since the EU was founded almost everyone was sure that Europe and the EU countries would only grow stronger together, be more interdependent and nation states to become less and less important. Brexit damaged that belief. It also damaged the trust EU members have in the British Government, because time and time again it broke promises, ignored treaties and flat out defamed the EU and EU institutions. That trust on a governmental level will need to heal in the years to come. Brexit was also a reckless mission that was not thought through by those advocating for it. They did not have a plan for the situation in Northern Ireland and therefore jeopardised the Irish peace process. One main point of the European Union was to ensure there will never be war again in Europe. Brexit put that at risk. With the Conference on the Future of Europe starting now, we will have to find back to a mode that ensures something like Brexit will not happen again.

 

Lisa Ryan Burton : How is the EU-UK Friendship Group progressing? What is the make-up of the group and what do you hope it will be able to achieve?

Hey Lisa, the Friendship Group is made up of over 100 MEPs and former MEPs from all political groups and countries. Our latest project was to try to open new perspectives for the future of the Erasmus program in the UK. For now, we feel like the Friendship Group has done a good job keeping in touch with our friends and colleagues. We will try to organise events with British civil society groups in autumn and join the COP26 in Glasgow this November for further events. With the interparliamentary delegation to the UK in the European Parliament established, we will look into the role the Friendship Group will have in the future.

Molly Williams : Should the EU have more executive power over member states, so they can implement legislation to protect minority groups whose rights are under attack in certain member states e.g. the LGBTQ+ community who are being targeted in Hungary, Poland and Romania?

Hey Molly, that’s a question I work a lot on. The EU needs a Commission that has the courage and the political will to use the executive powers they have to defend citizens’ rights and the treaties. In addition to this, the requirement of unanimous votes must be removed. Too often important steps to protect minority rights are being blocked when we really need decisive action to protect civil rights.

Harry Shindler OBE : Is there any possibility that the EU would consider offering EU citizenship/an EU passport to British citizens living in the European Union?

Alan Brown : UK citizens permanently resident in the EU have lost European citizenship and the many beneficial rights that went with it. Do you see any way by which those rights can regained?

Hey Harry and Alan, those are interesting and important questions, but also ones which won’t be solved easily. We need to look into possibilities now, but there is a long road ahead of us. At the conference on the future of Europe we will discuss how member states could and should strengthen EU citizenships and we also should look into how these citizenships with their rights could be expanded. But I also don’t want to give you false hopes. This probably will not happen over a short period of time due to the constitutional and political challenges ahead. We will continue to fight for you, but we are in for a long fight. I know that’s not the answer you would like to hear and I really and deeply feel with everyone who lost so much because of this reckless Brexit project. We need to keep working together, get stronger together and build back everything that has been lost. We might need to take a lot of small steps, but I strongly believe that in the end we will grow back together, stronger than ever.

Next month’s Bremainers Ask guest will be Anna Bird. Anna became leader of European Movement UK in September 2020 and, under her leadership, we have already seen the organisation become more diverse. She previously campaigned for mental health and homelessness charities.

If you have a question for Anna, please email it to us before 7 July at enquiries@bremaininspain.com.

Open Letter to Boris Johnson from Sue Wilson, MBE

Open Letter to Boris Johnson from Sue Wilson, MBE

Jun 12, 2021 | Bylines, News

Sue Wilson, Chair of Bremain in Spain and now a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, writes a further open letter to Boris Johnson in Yorkshire Bylines asking for his advice– you can read her earlier letters here.

Dear Boris,

It’s been a while since my last letter, and I’m still hopeful of receiving a reply from you at some point.

I appreciate you have had a lot on your plate. Getting married, sorting out (or rather, not sorting out) your Brexit deal, Cummings’ betrayal, wallpaper-gate followed by sausage-gate, being side-lined by the EU and not being President Biden’s number one pal – must all take its toll on a world ‘leader’.

 

Open letter to Boris Johnson

I’ve had rather an eventful time myself. I was named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Considering what I’ve spent my last five years focusing on – fighting your Brexit – nobody could be more surprised than me. According to the British Ambassador to Spain, he was asked to inform me by the secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs that, “he proposes to submit my name to the Queen”. This was equally surprising, considering Dominic Raab is such an arch Brexiter, and I’m, well, not!

All this honours malarkey is new to me, but not to you, of course. So, I hope you won’t mind if I pick your brains about the protocol. You have, after all, honoured many of your friends and donors, so I imagine this is one topic that you know more than a little about.

 

Questions about MBEs

Firstly, am I already an MBE, having been named in the list, or do I only become one once I’ve got the medal in my hands? If the latter, perhaps you could advise if there’s a code of behaviour that I have to adhere to, to make sure I get the gong and title eventually. Do I have to be on my best behaviour until I meet the Queen? I would ask how I might go about doing that, but perhaps you’re not the best person to comment on following codes of practice.

Secondly, am I part of the British Empire now, and what does that mean? Do have to get a flag to show off when I’m on Zoom?

I should probably warn you in advance that, once my MBE is confirmed, I will be joining the latest campaign to have the ‘Empire’ removed from the title and replaced with ‘Excellence’ – an easier task for a gong than for a country, I suspect.

 

Can I pay for an upgrade later?

I’m assuming, as an MBE is a lower-level honour, that this one is complementary. However, I would be very interested to know what the going rate is for an upgrade. I quite like the sound of a ‘Companion of the Order of the Bath’ or a ‘Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire’, if you have any spare, going at bargain rates.

I appreciate you’re currently rather busy with saving the planet, charming foreign heads of state and looking dapper. Making such an effort must take an enormous toll, especially with the missus and latest offspring in tow. So, I won’t hold my breath for a response.

But when you get a moment, please thank the two Dominics for me. One for spilling the beans and the other for supposedly knowing who I am. Please reassure Mr Raab that as he is so delighted with my anti-government, anti-Brexit and pro-European stance as to reward me for it, that the least I can do is keep on doing what I’m doing. Only more so. With knobs on. Big, shiny, metallics knobs, with ribbons on.

Yours sincerely,

Sue Wilson, Chair of Bremain in Spain and MBE (I think!)

 

Bremain in Spain Comment on Chair Sue Wilson´s Recognition In The Queen’s Birthday Honours List

Bremain in Spain Comment on Chair Sue Wilson´s Recognition In The Queen’s Birthday Honours List

Jun 11, 2021 | News

On 12 June 2021, the British Embassy announced the names of UK nationals in Spain recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours. This year, the List published in the London Gazette includes the name of Bremain in Spain’s Chair, Sue Wilson.

“For services to British Nationals in Spain and the European Union”, Sue has been made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Sue was advised of the honour by the British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott. On receiving the news, Sue commented, “It has been my pleasure and privilege to work with the Ambassador and his excellent team. When I was told to expect a call from Hugh personally, I had no idea what to expect or what the call was regarding. When he explained the reason for his call, I was both amazed and delighted.

On Thursday 10 June, the Embassy issued a press statement, embargoed until the following evening. The statement described Sue as follows:

“As Chair of Bremain in Spain, Sue Wilson is one of the most visible campaigners for the rights of UK nationals in the EU. When moving to Spain to retire over 10 years ago, she had no experience of advocacy, campaigning work or speaking in public. However, the result of the 2016 EU referendum affected her deeply and since then she has worked on the issue of UK nationals’ rights in various different ways. Sue has lobbied UK and EU influencers and made great efforts to inform the UK Government’s work on citizens’ rights, including appearing in front of the Select Committee for Exiting the EU. She has multiplied the reach of key messages to thousands of UK nationals – writing articles in the press, actively participating on social media and appearing alongside British Embassy and Consular colleagues at outreach events.”

The Ambassador, Hugh Elliott, added his own personal comment: “Sue has worked with great determination to raise the profile of citizens’ rights amongst politicians and key influencers. Her remarkable contribution and collaborative approach has helped the UK government minimise preventable consular cases by ensuring UK nationals in the EU are reflected in the negotiations and that they have a clear understanding of their rights and how to access them. Her work has had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of UK nationals.”

Sue went on to say, “When I started this journey five years ago, I could never have anticipated how long the road would be or where it would take me. Campaigning against Brexit, and for the protection of our rights, has been a passion of mine, bordering on an obsession. Considering my earlier disinterest in politics, there is nobody more surprised than me at where I have ended up.

“In taking a stand on something I care deeply about, I have learnt new skills and made wonderful new friends. I am therefore especially delighted that my dear friend, Debbie Williams, of Brexpats-Hear-our-voice and In Limbo, has also been recognised for her own achievements.

Sue Wilson MBE & Debbie Williams MBE courtesy of Loredana Photography

“Although the award is based on my citizens’ rights activities, I like to think that the British government have inadvertently given me a gong for fighting against their Brexit. Stopping Brexit was always my primary focus, so when I noted that the instruction to inform me of my award came from Foreign Secretary, and arch Brexiteer, Dominic Raab, I had to smile. Had it not been for Brexit, the Foreign Office (FCDO) would never have heard of me, much less rewarded me.

“Since the call from the Ambassador, only my husband has been in on the secret. I so desperately wanted to share the news with my family and friends, but it has been especially tough keeping the news from the Bremain in Spain council. 

“Their hard work, commitment and support have enabled me to do so much – I could not have come this far without their dedication, assistance and backing. They deserve credit for what Bremain in Spain has achieved, just as much as I do. Any honour I receive is as much theirs as it is mine, and I can never thank them enough”.

You can read more about this story in the following publications:

Euro Weekly News

Sur in English

The Local

El7set

Latest round of Brexit negotiations

Latest round of Brexit negotiations

Jun 10, 2021 | Bylines, News

Bremain Chair Sue Wilson writes for Yorkshire Bylines:

Even before the latest round of Brexit talks began on Wednesday, both sides were laying out their stalls. By the time the chief Brexit negotiators Maroš Šefčovič and Lord Frost met, sabres were being rattled and patience was already running out. As temperatures were rising, expectations of any progress fell.

The month began with the newly recognised EU ambassador, Joao Vale de Almeida, accusing the new DUP leader, Edwin Poots, of making comments regarding the Northern Ireland protocol that lacked, “adherence to reality”. Lord Frost’s response was to suggest the EU needed to show more “common sense” over the protocol.

 

Concerns over British government’s approach to Brexit negotiations

Concerns were raised in Brussels that UK lobbying was getting out of hand, and member states began discussing a ‘code of conduct’ for dealing with the British government. Fears were being raised that the UK would attempt to deal with individual EU member states directly, rather than collectively

Irish Foreign Minister, Simon Coveney, warned that the EU could and would take retaliatory action against the UK for failing to implement the protocol. Then EU commissioner, Mairead McGuinness, warned the UK was “playing a very dangerous game” by inflaming tensions, and stated, “you can’t wash your hands of an agreement that you shaped and made and signed”.

A few days later, Lord Frost asked Brussels to embrace “pragmatic solutions”, suggesting time was beginning “to run out”. He called on the EU to forgo “legal purism” but admitted that the UK government had “underestimated” the effect of the protocol on Northern Ireland trade. A claim that was immediately contested by Theresa May’s former chief of staff, Lord Gavin Barwell, who said the government knew it was a bad deal, but went ahead anyway, just to get “Brexit done”

 

G7 meeting and a warning from Biden

Ahead of the G7 meeting, warnings came that President Biden was about to wade in on the argument. The president would warn Prime Minister Johnson, that a US/UK trade deal would be dependent on the success of the Northern Ireland protocol. With the USA as guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, Biden is expected to issue a warning to Johnson when they meet face-to-face today.

The latest pre-negotiation game-playing has been a trade-war argument over sausages. Despite the environment secretary, George Eustice, insisting that “there’s no problem with our sausages or indeed our chicken nuggets”, the EU disagreed. The bloc warned that they would not hesitate to retaliate with tariffs should the UK fail to honour its commitments. If Johnson chooses to violate his deal again, retribution will be “swift and firm”.

 

International law obligations

The day before the latest Brexit negotiations started, Šefčovič was reported as saying that the EU’s response would be so crushing, it would ensure the UK “abides by its international law obligations”. The final comment, ahead of the talks, came from Ursula Von der Leyen, European Commission president, who expressed “deep concern” over the implementation of the trade and cooperation agreement and the withdrawal agreement. Not exactly the ideal precursor to the critical, forthcoming discussions.

 

The meeting on Wednesday 9 June lasted just over three hours, but little progress was made. The discussions finished with “no breakthroughs”, but also no “breakdowns”.

After the talks ended, Šefčovič warned that the EU’s “patience is wearing very, very thin”. He said Brussels would act “firmly and resolutely” if the UK unilaterally decides to delay checks at the Irish Sea border. He told a press conference, following the meeting, “We have to assess all options we have at our disposal”.

Frost described the discussions as “frank and honest” and said both parties had agreed to continue talks in an effort to achieve a breakthrough. He added, “What we really now need to do is very urgently find some solutions which support the Belfast Good Friday agreement, support the peace process in Northern Ireland and allow things to return to normal”

 

Continued problems with the Northern Ireland protocol

There was some progress on some of the less contentious issues, such as importing second-hand vehicles from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and on EU access to UK customs databases, but the main sticking points – most notably on fresh meat imports – remain at stalemate. (You can read the official UK government statement on the meeting here).

The UK government is continuing to claim the EU is acting in a “purist” way, as if EU rules are merely guidelines to follow when it suits, rather than legally binding international commitments. The EU has put forward many suggestions over time, on ways to resolve some of the issues surrounding the Northern Ireland protocol. Each time, the UK has said no, as the cost – adhering to EU rules – is too high a price for “sovereign” UK to pay. Yet the UK has failed to come up with any suggestions, other than ones that require the EU to bend, if not break, their rules and risk the integrity of the single market.

 

Continued English exceptionalism with Brexit talks?

Frost was quoted recently as saying that the EU “needs a new playbook for dealing with neighbours, one that involves pragmatic solutions between friends”. It seems, even after five years, three prime ministers and three Brexit negotiators, our government still expect to be treated differently from other third countries.

Despite the damage – not just to our economy and trade, but to our international reputation – we seem to have learned little about how the EU operates or how to win friends and influence people. The same cake-ist, superior, delusional attitude seems to pervade every discussion.

Maybe the rhetoric works in Westminster. Maybe it even works with Conservative voters. But it doesn’t work in Brussels. If half the effort was put into finding real world solutions that is put into the optics, we might actually see some progress. In the meantime, the government will continue with the spin until the whole country feels dizzy. They may have to. It seems as though it’s all they know how to do.