Joe Duggan (Reporter)
SIMON Manley, the UK’s ambassador to Spain, ‘hopes’ the EU will agree to the British government’s proposals over citizens’ rights post-Brexit.
The UK has offered a ‘reciprocal deal that would protect the right of UK nationals already in the EU to continue to live and work in the EU’, said Manley.
In an open letter to British citizens in Spain, Britain’s man in Madrid also said the UK ‘wants to continue’ providing healthcare for EU-based pensioners ‘on the same basis’ as the current S1 system.
“It is our intention to treat EU citizens with settled status in the UK in the same way as if they were UK citizens for the purposes of access to education, benefits and pensions,” said Manley.
“The UK will continue to export and uprate the UK State Pension and provide associated healthcare cover within the EU.”
He added: “We want an agreement that provided citizens greater certainty about their future.”
Under the government’s plans, British travellers would also be able to retain existing rights under the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which offers free, or reduced-cost, healthcare in the EU.
Travellers from the EU to the UK would also continue to enjoy the same rights.
Last month, Theresa May said the 3.4 million EU nationals living in the UK would have to apply for settled status.
Among criticisms of the plan are it could see them lose their right to bring a spouse to the UK unless they meet the £18,600 minimum earning threshold.
Over 150,000 EU citizens who have already applied for permanent residency through a much-criticised 85-page document would have to re-apply for special status.
EU nationals could also lose the right to vote in local elections.
Not good enough.
Wake up you stupid Tories, before you ruin the UK for generations.
The lemmings are rushing for the cliff, while chewing on their toxic American chicken and GM grub, their fingers in their ears and their blinkers firmly in place. Manley is simply clinging to his job by parroting Tory lies.
Brexiteers are all about the past, they never talk about the future, they want to lock people into their current status and then slam the trap door shut on any future movement. What about UK nationals who want to work or retire in EU member states in the future? Will they get health care cover for example? What extra restrictions will there be?
“We want an agreement that provided citizens greater certainty about their future”. What a pathetic statement, we had certainty before, it was called being a full member of the EU and any deal the UK ends up with will be far worse than the status quo.
It was the UK who decided to tear up the current arrangement and stick two fingers up to the EU, not the other way round. The least the UK government can do is work with Guy Verhofstadt, make a gesture of goodwill and make EU nationals a decent offer.
Jane G. Could you please explain what you mean by, “The least the UK government can do is work with Guy Verhofstadt, make a gesture of goodwill and make EU nationals a decent offer”.
Lets assume we are out of the ECJ and are being classed as a third world country by the EU, what other third world country has trading agreements with the EU, and has offered anything remotely to what T.May has offered EU citizens. Lets also assume that if there were no expats residing in Europe would the offer be the same. Personally I think the UK’s offer goes far beyond any other offers made to any other country and that is purely because of expats living or working or wishing to retire in the EU. There are other countries that Brit expat’s live and work but do not the rights that the UK government has offered EU citizens living in the UK, in fact in some of these countries one has to leave yearly cross over a border and return. Therefore step back a mile or two and explain how the UK can eventually control their borders if there is no control over EU citizens which would also be classed as third world citizens until such times. Surely you must know other people that have no intentions of retiring to Spain or Europe, ask them if the offer made by the British government to EU citizens residing in the UK is a fair offer.
As a final note you are correct when you state, “Brexiteers are all about the past”, yes, learned from 40 years under the political control of the EU.
Another one Jane, with his fingers in his ears going “La La La, I’m not listening”. On top of that, a Trump fan. Ye Gods!
Yes Stefanjo and don’t you just love the Freudian slip. The third world is where the UK is heading once it goes over the cliff edge.
Stefango, is that the best you can come up with, why not give positive comments on points I raised such as what do you think the British government should offer other than what’s been offered on the table, whereas basically they need not offer anything due to the UK becoming a sovereign state, so you better keep mum. Therefore do you feel that EU citizens have been offered a good fair, deal or should they be treated as other immigrants that wish to come and remain in the UK or should we continue the Blair doctrine of an open door. But due to people like you and others that ridicule the offer, you are merely seeking self interest which is understandable, but nevertheless the British Government are trying their hardest in trying to protect your interest. so perhaps a little credit is due.
Now if it’s a case of self seeking interest what ever befalls the UK will not be too much of a concern to you as you will be living in the land of dream and honey, that is until it finally collapses, and it’s not a case of fingers in my ears but a case of your finger stuck where the sun has yet to hit. On top of that, a Barnier and a Verhofstadt fan. Ye Gods!
BTW stefango I do have dual nationality so I do have a choice, do you., if not, “tough luck” as what was said in the film “Taken”. lol
Uhmmm. In my observation, politicians (only when they do their job well, follow the news, trends, et al) only follow culture. None ever made culture. They want you to believe that, but up to now, even those who came close, never made culture. Ever.
Things will get sorted.
There is a nice saying in Dutch about politicians: “Ze dronken een glas, deden een plas en alles bleef precies zoals het was”. I will translate it. “They drunk a glass, went to the loo, and everything stayed exactly like it was”. The biggest problem for mostly, but not exclusively (!!!), UK politicians is to find the right lyrics with the music. But the music will play on. Nobody can stop the music from playing.
Quite right Joanna, the music will just continue playing, over and over again, until it finally comes to a stop and when it does there will either be an agreement satisfactory to both side or the UK will just walk away. There goes all you fish.
Another person with no answers. Both self seeking immigrants, well at least one at the moment, the other in waiting.