Huge news…
EU negotiators will offer every British citizen the chance to opt-in and remain EU citizens as a proposal in Brexit negotiations, according to a report in The Independent.
European Parliament’s chief negotiator confirmed the news to the online media outlet following an initial report on the subject last month.
Guy Verhofstadt is the EU Brexit negotiator and is in charge of brokering the British exit from the European Union, whenever that will actually happen.
The move was considered a long-term aim of the European Parliament but has now been fast-tracked to the negotiating table by Verhofstadt.
The plan is that British citizens will be offered associate citizenship, and that will allow them to keep free movement to live and work across the EU.
Verhofstadt toldEuropean Parliament’s Committee on constitutional affairs: “We come to the vote of this important amendment 882, tabled by colleague Charles Goerens. It is an important amendment that has captured the imagination and hopes of many of the 48% of Brits that have voted to remain in the EU. You will all have received many emails about this – and there has been many articles about this.
“It has therefore become a very important issue that cannot await treaty change – as envisaged by Charles when he first tabled it.
“I am therefore proposing to remove it from my report – which after all is concerned with Treaty change – and to include it in the negotiations we will have with the UK government. I as Brexit negotiator for the Parliament will ensure that it is included in the parliament’s negotiating mandate.”
But any potential deal will require approval by the British Parliament, with Prime Minister Theresa May recently stating: “Actually we want a red, white and blue Brexit. That is the right Brexit for the UK, the right deal for the UK.”
A change from the standard line of ‘Brexit means Brexit’, which was bandied about in the months after the historic referendum in June.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
