Citizens' Rights Group relaunches in UK

The UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Citizens’ Rights, which looks at issues facing EU citizens in the UK and Britons abroad, has relaunched and will meet for the first time next week, writes Martin Banks.

It will be hosted at the House of Commons by British MP Manuela Perteghella.

Once MPs and peers have been voted in as officers for the APPG for the new UK 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.

Tom Brake, Director of Unlock Democracy and former Liberal Democrat MP, will speak on what has been dubbed “the postal vote scandal” at the last UK general election.

Postal delays meant that tens of thousands of Britons abroad are thought to have been denied their vote.

New Europeans UK, which acts as the secretariat of the APPG, and Unlock Democracy teamed up with the British Overseas Voters Forum to conduct a survey during last summer’s general election on how well the postal vote system performed. 

Overall, of all those 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. 

Brake will present the findings of the survey along with recommendations for improving the system and Mike Tuffrey, trustee of British Overseas Voters Forum, will 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. 

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