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The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Citizens’ Rights, which looks at issues facing EU citizens in the UK and Britons abroad, will relaunch in the new year. New Europeans UK acts as the secretariat of the APPG. We will hold the Inaugural Meeting at the House of Commons on Wednesday, the 15th of January, which will be hosted by MP Manuela Perteghella, who has agreed to Chair the APPG. 

Once MPs and Peers have been voted in as officers for the APPG for the new parliament, the meeting will focus on Britons living and working abroad. Future meetings will inform members of parliament on challenges relating to the rights of EU citizens in the UK. A recent conference in parliament highlighted issues with the EU settlement scheme, which was introduced after Brexit: UK’s settled status system could leave EU citizens out in the cold

 

Postal Vote Scandal for Britons abroad at UK General Election 

We have invited Tom Brake, Director of Unlock Democracy and former Liberal Democrat MP, to speak on the postal vote scandal at the last General Election. Postal delays meant that tens of thousands of Britons abroad are thought to have been denied their vote.

New Europeans UK and Unlock Democracy teamed up with the British Overseas Voters Forum to conduct a survey during this summer’s General Election on how well the postal vote system performed. Overall, of all those we surveyed, less than half (46%) were able to return their ballot in time for it to have been likely to be counted. Many of those responding to the survey were based in France. This sample showed that even in France, where the postal system between the two countries would be expected to work efficiently, just over half (55%) received their ballot paper in time to be able to fill it in and return it in time for it to have been likely for it to have been counted. For the rest of the world, it was only 37% of those who responded, who are likely to have got their vote to the UK in time to be counted. Just under 300 britons abroad responded to the survey – with about half of them living in France. 

Tom Brake will present the findings of the survey along with recommendations for improving the system. Mike Tuffrey, trustee of British Overseas Voters Forum, will then share their members’ experiences of voting from overseas at last year’s election and their ideas for how to enhance citizens’ rights. 

The meeting will also hear directly from Britons living abroad, who will be attending the meeting in person, on their difficulties in voting. Among those making contributions will be Sue Wilson MBE, Chair of Bremain in Spain, and Clarissa Killwick, Team member of Brexpats – Hear Our Voice and co-founder of Beyond Brexit – UK Citizens in Italy. 

Chair of New Europeans UK, Dr Ruvi Ziegler, will make the case for the introduction of overseas constituencies in the UK to better represent Britons living and working abroad. New Europeans UK and Unlock Democracy run a joint campaign for overseas constituencies, which is supported by a range of groups representing Britons abroad. 

The meeting on Wednesday, the 15th of January, will run from 4 to 5pm. If you are interested in attending online or in person, please email appg@neweuropeans.uk to receive a Zoom link or invitation. 

To find out more visit: Overseas Constituency Campaign –  The voices of UK citizens abroad must be heard

To read more about the postal vote scandal and how it affected Britons abroad visit:

Brexit ripped my European citizenship away – now I can’t vote in the UK either

Thousands fear they will lose vote in UK election after postal ballot delays