Photo by Matt Brown on Unsplash
European Britons (The Association) was born out of the belief that all UK passport holders have a universal right to be enfranchised where ever they happen to legally reside, writes Paul Fisher.
If resident in the UK, that means being directly represented by voting in all elections and referenda. If resident outside the UK, it means to be directly represented by dedicated MP and by voting in all UK parliamentary elections and referenda and in local/municipal elections in the jurisdiction of legal residence.
Additionally, if someone is resident in the EU, they have the right to vote in European Parliamentary elections, that is, to be directly represented by their dedicated MEP.
This is the underpinning for European Britons’ support for the campaign being orchestrated by the alliance of Unlock Democracy and New Europeans (UD/NE); the right for all overseas resident UK citizens to vote and the establishment of UK Constituencies Abroad.
What should also be appreciated is the work being undertaken by European Britons to campaign for the rights of UK passport holder’s resident in the EU to vote in municipal and EU Parliamentary elections. As well as our work with the UD/NE Alliance we are aligned with J’y Suis, J’y Vote (JSJV) in France (https://jsjv.fr).
We are the only British organisation to be working with JSJV.
Amongst all the hyperbole and rhetoric of the seismic effects of BREXIT, in true island mentality style, a simple truth has been missed; the real effect of leaving the EU.
The unpalatable truth is that the UK has moved to become just like any other bog-standard country; not a country which thinks it is different, better and more entitled than others.
The shift is not just political, economic, technical and legal but cultural. JSJV has been campaigning for nearly 3 decades for the rights of people who are legally resident, to vote in municipal EU Parliamentary elections on behalf of approximately 22,000,000 citizens across Europe.
European Britons has been welcomed with open arms as we are the first little outfit to have made the cultural shift that recognises that UK passport-holders resident in the EU joined the 22m other disenfranchised citizens.
We, the Brits(!), are a small but significant group of relative newcomers as a result of the departure of the UK from the EU.
On a tactical note, I am unconvinced that a full on campaign for UK Constituencies Abroad before the general election is going to have any effect in the context of other priorities in broken Britain. Likewise, the constant drone of “Rejoin” is misplaced when the real change that must come about in the UK is that its citizens must become culturally European Britons rather than inward looking exceptionalists.
There is no “Rejoin” for the UK; it has to be “join anew”.
JSJV is holding a an European event in Paris 26-27 April centred around the Hôtel de Ville, Assemblée Générale and Sénat.
Anyone who wants to join an important demonstration of intent about real democracy and voting rights can join us there.
If you are really passionate about European voting rights join the 22,000,000 others from across Europe.
The Author, Paul Fisher, is the president of European Britons
