Votes for Life – Improving Representation for Brits Abroad

Votes for Life – Improving Representation for Brits Abroad

Feb 19, 2025 | News, Votes for Life

Update 19 Feb 2025
Proxy Vote

CAMPAIGN FOR OVERSEAS CONSTITUENCIES

In conjunction with New Europeans, Unlock Democracy and other campaign groups – and following the return of our democratic voting rights – Bremain is campaigning for dedicated MPs to represent Britons living abroad.

On January 15 2025, our chair Sue Wilson attended the Citizens’ Rights APPG in Westminster to discuss the Overseas Constituencies campaign with parliamentarians. Since then a parliamentary briefing has been sent out to all MPs and peers outlining the rationale for Overseas Constituencies.

We would like to acknowledge the role of the Bremain Lobby Team in extensively lobbying parliament in this regard. Thank you!

 

The rationale for dedicated MPs for Brits abroad

  • UK based constituency MPs understand little of the issues faced by Britons living abroad, and quite naturally focus their attention on local constituency matters
  • Britons abroad are more likely to be engaged with national UK matters than with constituency-specific issues
  • Dedicated representation by MPs who understand the issues would ensure the voices of overseas voters would be heard
  • Better representation would likely result in increased numbers of Britons abroad registering to vote in the UK
  • At least 17 countries – including EU countries such as France, Italy, Croatia, Romania and Portugal – already have fully functioning overseas constituencies
Update 23 May 2024
Proxy Vote

The Prime Minister has announced a General Election scheduled for Thursday 4 July, just 6 weeks away.

If you have yet to register to vote, you will need to act quickly, as the deadline for the receipt of registration applications is Tuesday 18 June – 12 working days before the poll. As applications in some constituencies are taking up to 4 weeks, please act now to avoid disappointment.

You can Register to Vote online – the process is simple & straightforward & should only take 5 minutes.

We strongly recommend using a proxy if you are unable to vote in person. Applications for a proxy vote close on Wednesday 26 June (6 working days before the poll). You can apply online or by post but you must be registered to vote before starting the process.

For further details re the requirements for registration & proxy voting, please read on.

We’ve waited long enough for the return of our democratic voting rights, so act now & make your vote count!

Update 24 March 2024
Proxy Vote

Voting by Proxy

Now our voting rights have been restored, it’s time to consider how to cast your vote as a British citizen abroad.

If you are unable to vote in person in the UK, then we strongly recommend voting by proxy as postal voting has proved very unreliable in the past & your vote may not arrive in time to be counted.

 

How to apply & what you need

Once you have registered to vote, there are 2 ways to apply for a proxy – online or by post.

Before you start the process, you will need your:

  1. N.I. number or other ID, e.g. birth certificate
  2. Details of your Proxy: name, address, contact details
  3. Digital signature (a photo)

The government have produced as Easy Read Guide that explains the process in more detail.

 

Who can act as your proxy?

You need to appoint someone you trust to act as your proxy who is:

  1. 18 years or over
  2. Registered & eligible to vote

Further information is available from the Electoral Commission: How to vote by proxy

If you are unable to find a friend or family member to act as your proxy, you can approach your local political party. They have a vested interest in finding someone to act on your behalf.

Important note: If you applied for a proxy vote before 31 October 2023, this expired on 31 January 2024 so you need to apply for a new one.

Tens of thousands of Brits abroad have already registered to vote, according to the government’s Register to Vote Dashboard.

If you are not one of them then please read on for all the relevant information on how & where to register. Please don’t wait until an election is announced as the registration process alone is taking up to 4 weeks in some constituencies.

 

Update 11 January 2024

Since Bremain in Spain’s inception, regaining our right to vote in UK elections has always been a high priority. After years of campaigning, the 15-year rule has now been overturned and our right to vote in UK elections has been re-established, regardless of where we live

Effective from 16 January 2024, you will now be able to register to vote in UK elections, regardless of how long you have lived abroad. British citizens, eligible Irish citizens and citizens of Crown Dependencies can register as overseas voters as long as they:

  • were previously registered to vote in the UK or
  • were previously resident in the UK

Get ready to register

Before starting the process of registration, you will need to have access to proof of your ID and your former UK address.

To prove your ID you will need to provide your National Insurance (NI) number and your date of birth. If you have a British passport (current or expired), you will need to scan it for ID purposes. If you have lost your NI number, you can search for it here

To prove your address you will need to provide documentation containing your full name and address details. Acceptable documentation includes:

  • a UK driving licence (current or expired)
  • correspondence from HMRC or the Dept. for Work and Pensions
  • council tax statement/demand
  • credit card statement
  • utility or mobile phone bill
  • letter from an insurance company
  • P45 or P60 form or payslip
  • bank/building society passbook
  • local authority rent book

 

In the event that you are unable to provide satisfactory evidence of your ID and former UK address, you will have the option of providing an attestation. You will need to ask someone (not a close family member) to attest to the details you provide. Your attestor must be over 18 and registered to vote in the UK, but they do not need to be a UK resident.

 

How to register

You can register to vote from overseas online on the government website here

When applying to register, use the last address where you were registered as a UK resident. If previously registered to vote at more than one UK address, use the most recent address at which you were registered.

Any eligible voters that previously resided in the UK, even as children, but have never been registered to vote, can apply using their last UK address.

Details provided will be verified by local authorities who are responsible for the electoral role in their area.

Once registered to vote, you will need to renew your registration every three years (previously annually), before 1 November.

An easy read guide on the registration process is available here

 

Feedback

We would be very interested to hear about your experiences in registering to vote using the government website. The process will be straightforward for some and more complex for others, but it is important that we understand how it works for you, and any issues that need resolving. Any feedback, good or bad, of your experiences of the registration process can be emailed to us at: enquiries@bremaininspain.com. We will be sure to feed back any issues to the DLUHC and the Electoral Commission in order to improve the process.

 

With a general election looming over the horizon, please do not wait to get yourself on the electoral register. The return of our democratic voting rights has been a long, hard-fought campaign, and the UK has never needed a new government more than it does right now. So, exercise your democratic rights and register to vote now!

 

Useful links

Electoral Commission: Overseas Voters- Resources for British Citizens Overseas

Electoral Commission: FAQs

British Embassy – Living in Spain – Voting

LibDems Abroad: Brits Abroad and Brits Abroad Q&A

British in Europe: Get ready to vote – your FAQs

 

Update 14 December 2023

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has now confirmed the date from which the voting franchise will be extended to all overseas voters.

The “15 year-rule” will effectively be removed – for those previously registered to vote, or previously resident in the UK – as of 16 January 2024, from 12.30 a.m. – via the Register to Vote website.

In the meantime, we recommend that those who are currently disenfranchised from voting start collecting their proof of ID (NI numbers, passports etc) and proof of their last UK address/electoral registration and scan them ready for upload to the government website. 

Further detailed instructions on the process, and the acceptable documentation, will be available here nearer the time.

Update 31 October 2023

New arrangements for voting by post and by proxy come into immediate effect as of today. Those already registered to vote in UK elections can now apply online to vote either by post or by proxy.

Once your form has been downloaded and completed, it is then sent off to the Electoral Registration office for England, Scotland or Wales or for Northern Ireland 

If you are living in the UK, you can download the application forms here

For those living abroad, apply online here

If you have not exceeded 15 years abroad, then you can also use the above link to register/re-register to vote. Those that have exceeded the 15 year period should be able to register to vote in January 2024 when the secondary legislation is finalised.

Update 26 October 2023

Progress has now been made regarding the secondary legislation required to further the restoration of our overseas voting rights.

On 23 October, the government published the Statutory Instrument on overseas voting regulations. These now require the approval of parliament before being signed into law, and will be considered by both House of Commons and House of Lords committees. The process usually takes no more than 8 weeks, so is expected to be finalised by early January 2024.

The next step will then be registration for disenfranchised overseas voters, likely to start before the end of January, as scheduled.

Update 9 October 2023

Following our latest discussion with the Head of Secondary Legislation, Registration & Franchise Division, at the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities, we are pleased to be able to confirm the following:

  • The department is still on track to progress the necessary secondary legislation this Autumn
  • The legislation will be laid & debated with the intention that the necessary changes to overseas voting rights come into force in January
  • Voters who are currently eligible can continue to register as usual, and from January onwards
  • Newly eligible voters – that were previously denied a vote under the 15-year rule – will be able to apply to register from January onwards
Update 21 June 2023

Votes for Life – Overseas Electorate Roundtable

On 21 June 2023, Bremain Chair, Sue Wilson, attended a meeting with Baroness Scott of Bybrook, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). The online meeting was also attended by officials of the DLUHC Elections Directorate, who Sue had met with earlier this year.

Speaking on behalf of the disenfranchised overseas electorate were representatives from a variety of campaign organisations, including Conservatives Abroad, LibDems Abroad, Labour International and British in Europe.

Secondary legislation

Before parliament can approve the new legislation, there will be a consultation with the Electoral Commission, who will provide further scrutiny of the plans and processes. The expectation remains that the secondary legislation will come into force in January 2024, enabling the registration process to begin.

Registration process

Changes are being made to:

  • ID verification process
  • Franchise criteria
  • Application forms

Each change is aimed at making the process easier and quicker for existing and new overseas voters, and to maintaining the integrity of the electoral process. These changes will apply to all UK parliamentary elections, including any bi-elections.

Renewals & Absentees

When re-registering to vote (every 3 years in future, rather than every year as at present), the process will allow for concurrent re-registration for proxy or postal voting. A reminder will be issued in advance to those already on the electoral register, and a new “light-touch” renewal declaration will speed up the process.

A new process for postal/proxy voting applications will be available online. For postal voting, pre-paid “international business response” envelopes will be supplied by Royal Mail – these envelopes are suitable for all international use and widely recognised abroad.

Following the meeting, Sue said, “it was reassuring to learn that the plans outlined to me in March are progressing well, and the previously quoted timescales still stand. It was a pleasure to meet Baroness Scott and her team who are clearly dedicated, well informed, and efficient. It is clear that all concerns raised by Bremain, and other campaign groups, have been listened to and acted upon. Restoration of our democratic votes rights is now well under way.”

A further roundtable meeting will be held in the Autumn.

For further information, read the earlier updates or visit the government website: Overseas electors: Delivering ‘votes for life’ for British expatriates

 

 

 

 

Update 23 March 2023

On 23 March 2023, Bremain Chair Sue Wilson attended a meeting at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to discuss the restoration of full democratic voting rights to Britons living abroad.

The meeting was with officials from Elections Directorate at the DLUHC in Westminster.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the next steps, the process and to establish the timescale. This is what we learned ……….

Secondary legislation

In order to restore full voting rights following the passing of the Elections Act by Parliament, secondary legislation will be necessary.

This will take place in the Autumn session of parliament 2023 with the intention of delivering ‘votes for life’ ahead of the next General Election. The secondary legislation to deliver the overseas electors change is expected to be made and come into force in January 2024.

Improvements to the registration process

To facilitate voting arrangements, the process of registration will be made simpler, and the frequency of re-registration will be extended from 1 year to (up to) 3 years. An online registration service will be complemented by the introduction of an online absent vote (postal or proxy) application process.

As soon as the changes come into force, newly enfranchised electors will be able to apply to register to vote. We will then be encouraging our members to act quickly, rather than wait until an election is announced.

The franchise of eligible voters will be extended to include all of the following British citizens, regardless of how long they have been living abroad:

  • those previously registered to vote in the UK
  • those previously resident in the UK

In addition, those that left the UK before they were old enough to register to vote will no longer have to rely on the registration status of their parents/guardians.

 

The verification process

The process will require the verification of both personal identity and a previous UK address.

Regarding identity verification, this could be established, as now, via a check of applicants’ details (including NI number) against DWP records, or if that is not possible, via documentary evidence, such as a UK passport. Failing that, an attestation (a declaration that certain facts are true) from a suitably qualified elector (not a close family member) would be acceptable.

Re address verification, if it is not possible for an Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) to verify an address by a register check, other options will be available, such as documentary evidence from a bank, building society, utility company, tax office or a variety of other organisations. A full list is available online (see below). Failing that, an attestation – as with ID verification – would be acceptable.

Following the meeting, Sue said, “I came away from the meeting impressed with the level of detail provided, the comprehensive nature of the planning and preparation, and the understanding of the issues we face as overseas voters. I was impressed with the knowledge and abilities of the people I met and with their willingness to engage with us and to listen to our concerns. Now, bring on the next election, but not before next spring, please!”

For further information, go to the government website: Overseas electors: Delivering ‘votes for life’ for British expatriates

 

Update 28 April 2022

The Elections Act has received Royal Assent and has now become law. It will allow British citizens abroad to vote in UK elections, by removing the 15-year limit. It will also extend the annual re-registration requirements to just once every three years.

In response to an enquiry regarding overseas voters’ measures in the Elections Act, the Electoral Commission said, “The Government has not yet made the legislation necessary to bring these changes into force, and we do not expect them to come into force before summer 2023. More detail on the implementation of these measures is expected to come from the government in the coming months.”

You can read the Government’s announcement re the passing of the Elections Act here

You can read an article written by Bremain Chair, Sue Wilson, on the passing of the Elections Act here

Update 01 Oct 2021

Our campaign for the restoration of our voting rights, and the scrapping of the arbitrary 15-year rule, moved a little closer to fruition this month. The controversial Elections Bill, which includes the government’s manifesto promise to restore our voting privileges, has made some progress through parliament. On 7 September, the bill passed the Second Reading in the House of Commons.  

On 22 September, the Committee stage began, and is scheduled to continue on 19 October. You can watch the latest proceedings on Parliament TV here. 

In tandem with the passage of the bill through the Commons, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) started its Elections Bill Inquiry. Many campaign groups submitted evidence to the committee, Bremain included. 

We asked our members why their vote was important to them and used many of your testimonies in our report. Many thanks to all those that contributed. You can read about our presentation of evidence to the committee here, in an article by our Chair, Sue Wilson.  To read our evidence report in full, click here 

Update 28 July 2021

The date for the second reading of the Elections Bill has been announced as 7 September, at 12.40 BST.

The second reading is the first opportunity for MPs to debate the general principles of the Bill. At the end of the debate, MPs will vote on whether they think the Bill should proceed to the next stage – the Committee Stage.

You can follow the progress of the Bill here

You can watch the debate live on Parliament TV, or watch a recording after the event here

Update 27 July 2021

On 26 July, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) announced a new enquiry into the controversial Elections Bill.

The bill includes government plans to introduce voter ID at polling stations, the aim being to “protect the integrity of elections”. However, many campaigners have argued that election fraud is extremely rare, and the bill is a solution to a problem that does not exist.

Committee Chair William Wragg said:

 

“These proposals make significant changes to the implementation of and potentially participation in elections. It’s natural that they are properly interrogated and claims by the Government that the plans would protect our democracy are tested before implementation. Although few would argue against shoring-up our electoral system in principle, it’s critical to ensure that it is done correctly, that it is fair, and that it is necessary to do so.”

Of course, the bill also includes the long-awaited restoration of democratic voting rights for Britons living abroad, affected by the arbitrary 15-year rule. We are encouraging our members to write to their MPs with their views on the Elections Bill – good and bad – and we will be presenting evidence to the committee in due course.

You can read more about the proposed enquiry here

You can read more about PACAC here

If you wish to submit evidence to the committee, you can do so here. The deadline is 31 August 2021.

Update 21 July 2021

Veteran campaigner, Harry Shindler OBE, has been fighting for the restoration of our democratic voting rights for 25 years. 
On 17th July 2021, he celebrated his 100th birthday. Bremain could not let this occasion pass un-noticed, so we asked our members and other campaign groups to join us in sharing our good wishes.

Bremain members contributed to our birthday book. You can view the book & read our members’ comments here

Campaign groups across the UK & the EU contributed to our dedicated video, which you can view here

We wish Harry a very happy birthday, & many more to come.

Update 07 July 2021
On 5 July 2021, the government bill set to restore our democratic voting rights was finally brought before parliament. A government press release stated that the new legislation was designed “to strengthen the integrity of UK elections and protect our democracy”, and included this aim:

“To increase participation in our democracy, the Bill will deliver the longstanding commitment to remove the arbitrary 15 year limit on overseas electors voting in UK Parliamentary general elections.”

The Elections Bill is proving controversial, though not because of the scrapping of the 15-year voting rule. The cause for concern is the planned introduction of voter ID, which threatens to disenfranchise many further voters, and is regarded by many as undemocratic and unnecessary.

Bremain will be following the passage of the new bill with great interest, and will provide regular updates.

More information on the Elections Bill is available on the official government website here.

You can also access updates on the Parliament website here, including the latest government publications and details of the bill’s progress. The government describe the bill thus:

 

“A Bill to make provision about the administration and conduct of elections, including provision designed to strengthen the integrity of the electoral process; about overseas electors; about voting and candidacy rights of EU citizens; about the designation of a strategy and policy statement for the Electoral Commission; about the membership of the Speaker’s Committee; about the Electoral Commission’s functions in relation to criminal proceedings; about financial information to be provided by a political party on applying for registration; for preventing a person being registered as a political party and being a recognised non-party campaigner at the same time; about regulation of expenditure for political purposes; about disqualification of offenders for holding elective offices; about information to be included in electronic campaigning material; and for connected purposes.”
For further information:

Read the Elections Bill in full here 

Read the Explanatory Notes here 

Read the Elections Bill Impact Assessment here

Update 27 May 2021

The government officially announced today that British citizens who have moved abroad will be given ‘votes for life’ as the UK Government scraps the arbitrary 15-year limit on the voting rights. All British citizens who are living overseas who have been previously registered or previously resident in the UK will be able to vote in UK Parliamentary General Elections. In addition, the new rules will mean overseas electors can stay registered for longer requiring them to renew their registration details once every three years, rather than annually.

Overseas electors will also be able to reapply for a postal vote or refresh their proxy vote at the same time as renewing their voter registration, streamlining the process and helping to ensure they have appropriate voting arrangements in place ahead of an election. These changes, which will form part of the Elections Bill will come into effect in time for the next scheduled General Election in 2024.

Update 12 May 2021

Since the 2010 General Election and each subsequent election, the Conservative party have pledged to repeal the fifteen year rule and provision was made in this year’s Budget in March.

In yesterday’s Queen’s Speech, as part of the Electoral Integrity Bill, the commitment to remove the fifteen year rule was announced.

Update 4 March 2021

After months of inactivity, it seems the British government’s manifesto commitment – to scrap the 15-year rule – is finally taking a step forward.

The Electoral Integrity Bill – which includes the restoration of the democratic voting rights of millions of Brits abroad – will form part of this spring’s Queen’s Speech.

There was further good news in the Budget yesterday. If you look closely at the small print on page 48, you will find reference to additional funds set aside expressly for the purpose of securing our #VotesForLife 

2.41 Overseas Electors – The government is providing an additional £2.5 million to remove
the limit preventing British citizens who live overseas from voting after 15 years.

You can read an article by Sue Wilson about the bill in the Yorkshire Bylines here

Open letter to the home secretary

Open letter to the home secretary

Feb 19, 2025 | Bylines, News

Labour’s cruel asylum plans betray refugees, court the far right, and risk their own downfall – it’s time to change course, write Bremain Chair Sue Wilson MBE for Yorkshire Bylines. 

Dear Secretary of State for the Home Department,

I am writing in regard to the latest government proposals regarding asylum seekers. Your plans – which are both cruel and incomprehensible – aim to deny those already granted legal asylum the right to apply for British citizenship.

The proposal to remove the right of citizenship from anyone who has “arrived illegally” or via a dangerous route, may have hit the headlines, but for all the wrong reasons. Not only will the plan further the demonisation of vulnerable refugees but seems destined to usher in a return of the ‘hostile environment’ – something we had hoped to have seen the last of with the demise of your Tory predecessors.

I can only assume this is yet another desperate Labour attempt to court right-wing voters, even as you visibly haemorrhage support from a public far more tolerant of freedom of movement than you are. What you may also have failed to notice is that the support you are losing is emanating from the left, not the right.

Yet more performative cruelty. This means someone who fled for their life 25 yrs ago, got refugee status in the UK, and has been part of their community here ever since – maybe married, had kids, started a business – can never be a citizen. That’s not right.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article…

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— Carla Denyer (@carladenyer.bsky.social) 12 February 2025 at 12:15

Flying in the face of reason

According to the Refugee Council, over 70,000 former refugees could be prevented from being granted citizenship by this new proposal. A decision, they say, that “flies in the face of reason” and for which there has been no debate in parliament. I therefore urge you to read the Council’s official statement, and to reconsider, as they have suggested.

With the exception of the far right, it would appear the idea is also unpopular in Westminster. Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party has described the plan as “performative cruelty” and commented that it takes no account of how long or engaged an immigrant has been in British society. Human rights campaigner, Labour Lord Alf Dubs, described the move as “shocking” and “small-minded”. Not only was it “a mean-spirited gesture”, he said, but it “would not deter anyone”.

Even Labour’s own Stella Creasy says the move would deny a refugee “a place in our society” making them “forever second-class”. I assume that is not your intention.

This should be changed asap.

If we give someone refugee status, it can't be right to then refuse them route to become a British Citizen. To say they can have a home in our country, but never a place in our society and be forever second class. freemovement.org.uk/good-charact…

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— Stella Creasy MP (@stellacreasy.bsky.social) 11 February 2025 at 16:01

Concessions welcome but not enough

Many refugees granted asylum will have been in the UK for years, if not decades. Many will be married, with children, working or running businesses and well-integrated into British society. Those who arrived in the country as children could, at least in theory, be allowed to apply for citizenship. But in the current political climate, will immigration caseworkers be willing to take a stand and use those discretionary powers to make those exceptions?

Children are being exempted from the government's obscene ban on refugees becoming citizens. Progressives should keep pushing. Concessions are possible. Write to your MP.
inews.co.uk/news/politic…

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— Ian Dunt (@iandunt.bsky.social) 12 February 2025 at 19:53

While any concessions you would be willing to make would be welcome, I really can’t see how this sow’s ear of a policy could possibly be turned into a silk purse. Surely, it would be better to get ahead of the political, media and public pressure and dump this controversial policy now.

Have Labour lost the plot?

If one incomprehensible plan to outdo Reform UK and the Tories on immigration wasn’t bad enough, then there’s your inexplicable and expensive plan to film and share the deportations of failed asylum seekers. In a move that’s worthy only of Farage or Trump, it’s understandable why migration expert Zoe Gardner would ask “has Labour finally lost the plot?”. It’s a question that many of us have been asking ourselves, and one for which there seems to be only one answer.

Has Labour finally lost the plot & lost the progressives once & for all?

VIDEO DEPORTATIONS: Reform & Labour voters REACTION youtu.be/NAjl2Pe8z44?…

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— Zoe Gardner (@zoejardiniere.bsky.social) 12 February 2025 at 18:17

Not only is the whole approach dehumanising, but it could destroy trust within migrant communities. Surely the staggering cost of the scheme would be better spent on clearing the asylum backlog, fixing asylum accommodation issues and rebuilding migrant communities damaged by last year’s race riots.

Not what we voted for

After 14 years of Tory rule, a Labour government – especially one with a large majority – was a welcome relief. The country had high hopes of the much-hyped “change” that the prime minister repeatedly promised us.

We didn’t assume that things would change overnight. We weren’t expecting miracles. But we did at least hope the new government would distance itself from the policies of the right and far right.

We expected compassion, decency and common sense. We dreamt of an honest debate about the value of immigration to our society and our economy. We even dared hope for the introduction of safe routes for asylum seekers. Instead, we have had to deal with a government increasingly afraid of its own history and its own shadow.

I don’t doubt that there is genuine concern in government about the growth of the far right and the threat they present in the polls. However, jumping on the far-right bandwagon is not the answer – surely the demise of the Tory party is proof enough of that.

No, there is only one way to beat the Farages and Trumps of this world, and that is to expose them for what they are, and by demonstrating to the country – and the world – that there is a better way.

You must not allow compassion, decency and honesty to go out of fashion, or your party will inevitably suffer the same fate. And it will be nobody’s fault but your own.

Yours sincerely,

Sue Wilson MBE

Events 2025

Events 2025

Feb 17, 2025 | News

25 February – Make Votes Matter
Online via Zoom – 18.30 GMT
All activist meeting, as part of ongoing cross-party talks. Topics will include PR, current activities & upcoming plans.
Speaker: Sarah Olney MP
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

24 February – UK in a Changing Europe
In person/live on Slido – 19.00 – 20.15 GMT
Unlocked: the fight for social and climate justice and better politics
Speaker: Caroline Lucas
Further information here

Festival of Europe

19 February – European Movement UK
Online – 18.30 – 19.30 GMT
After 5 years of Brexit, what lies ahead?
Speakers: Anand Menon, Alex Hall Hall, Mark Kieran, Ellie Chowns
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

15 February – European Movement UK
In person/online – 10.30 – 17.00 GMT
Grassroots conference: speeches, workshops. To attend in person, you must be an EM member or affiliate.
Speakers: Caroline Lucas, Emma Knaggs, Mark English, Joe Meighan
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

13 February – Labour Movement for Europe
Online – 19.30 GMT
Annual General Meeting, plus a discussion on: ‘Labour and Europe – what should we do now?’
Speaker: Alistair Campbell
For LME members only – join here
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

30 January – Labour Movement for Europe
Zoom Webinar – 19.00 – 20.15 GMT
Five years on, can we make Brexit work?
Speakers:
Joe Dromey, Stella Creasy, Christabel Cooper, Joel Reland, Alf Dubs, Andy Prendergast
Register to attend here

​

Festival of Europe

23 January – Independent
Online – 20.00 – 21.00 CET
Will the Brexit headache ever end?
Almost 8 years on & Brexit-related issues are as prominent & divisive as ever, & concerns abound about the damage being caused.
Speakers: Stella Creasy, Mark Francois, Clare Fox & Prof Anand Menon
Register to attend here

​

Festival of Europe

18 January – European Movement Staffs
In person/Online – 15.00 – 16.30 GMT
Why the UK should rejoin Erasmus +
Speakers: Cecilia Jastrzembska, Kanika Safiya, Matt Pointon & Klajdi Selimi
More information here
To attend in person, register here
To attend via Zoom, register here

​

Festival of Europe

16 January – European Movement Scotland
Online – 19.00 – 21.00 GMT
What does a Trump presidency mean for Europe?
Speakers: Alyn Smith, Lord Kerr
Register to attend here

​

Festival of Europe

15 January – Cambridge for Europe
Webinar – 19.30 CET
Is there any good news? The challenges we face & nurturing the seeds of hope.
Speaker: Alex Hall Hall
Register to attend here

​

Festival of Europe

15 January – APPG on citizens’ rights
In person/Online – 16.00 – 17.00 GMT
Organised by New Europeans and Unlock Democracy, the agenda will cover overseas constituencies & postal voting issues from EU.
Speakers: Tom Brake, Mike Tuffrey, Sue Wilson, Clarissa Killwick & Dr. Ruvi Ziegler
Further information here
To take part online, register here

​

Festival of Europe

14 January – European Movement UK
Webinar – 18.30 GMT
Raising awareness of EMUK Erasmus+ Campaign & discussing planned action day on 25 January.
Register to attend here

​

Festival of Europe

12 January – N. Herts for Europe
Online – 17.00 – 18.15 GMT
More Chicanery with the Digital Immigration System in Brexit Britain.
Speaker: Cosi Doerfel-Hill (the3million)
Register to attend here (voluntary donation of £3)

Festival of Europe

7 January – Young European Movement
Online – 17.00 – 18.30 GMT
Eradicating violence against women & girls; Empowering Europe
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Bremainers Ask Revisited

Bremainers Ask Revisited

Jan 31, 2025 | News

This month we asked some former Bremainers Ask contributors to tell us their hopes and fears for 2025. This is what they had to say

Gina Miller, Co-Founder of SCM Direct and MoneyShe, Activist and Campaigner

I was never one for making predictions, and even less so post-2016. But as we enter 2025, few would deny that the global outlook is a complex web of cautious optimism and pressing challenges. While there are glimmers of hope, there are equally ominous clouds on the horizon that cannot be ignored.

 

Economically, global growth is anticipated to hover around a modest 2.5–2.8%, largely driven by emerging markets. Yet, for developed economies like the EU and the UK, the picture is less encouraging. Slower expansion, coupled with the return of creeping inflation after a brief period of relief is concerning. Trade tensions, high debt burdens, and the resurgence of protectionist policies cast a long shadow over the potential for economic stability and are therefore likely to fuel the rise of discontent, populism and anger we are witnessing in so many countries. 

Politically, the world order appears fragile, and the cracks are widening, which I fear is undermining the cooperation on issues that demand urgent attention—climate change, security, and migration among them. Security threats from collaborations between Iran, Russia, and North Korea loom large, posing serious risks to Europe and the UK. Threats that underscore the urgent necessity for the UK to reduce the barriers, bad faith and economic, security and cultural distance with our closest neighbours. To work with creativity and courage to strengthen our alliances, protect Europe and the UK, and foster a unified approach to safeguard stability.

Already we have seen the spectre of Donald Trump’s second term as US President deepen these anxieties, with his return to power, surrounded by some of the richest, most powerful billionaires in the Western world, ushering in an era of plutocracy. His transactional and often divisive approach to global diplomacy jeopardising decades of hard-won alliances, the erosion of trust in multilateral institutions, and his disdain for addressing climate change are already sending shockwaves through the international community. Economists are also fearful that his love of tariffs and trade wars is likely to increase economic uncertainty, with a breakdown in the world trading system, and lower productivity growth, which will hurt the poorest in society and again fuel populism.  I fear that a world order already reeling from structural social and economic challenges risks tipping further into chaos due to his leadership.

Closer to home, the rise of the far right, amplified by social media platforms, algorithms, and the influence of billionaires, poses an existential threat to all our democracies. AI-driven disinformation campaigns and the deliberate fuelling of societal divisions are energising extremist ideologies and further eroding public trust in our democratic institutions. Those exploiting the grievances of people suffering from the cost-of-living crisis, job losses, and decades of poor political decisions must be confronted. If left unchecked, I am very fearful that this trend threatens to undo the social, democratic and multicultural advancements we have fought so hard to achieve since the second world war.

But while these fears and dangers are real, I am heartened by the resilience I see in our younger generations. A recent YouGov poll conducted for the European Council on Foreign Relations revealed that nearly seven in ten Britons, including a majority of former pro-Brexit voters, support a scheme allowing 200,000 young people from the UK and the EU to travel, study, and work freely in each other’s countries for up to four years. Such overwhelming support highlights a growing recognition of the importance of international collaboration and cultural exchange.

This shift is especially encouraging at a time when public discourse is increasingly influenced by misinformation. The growing threat of opinion replacing fact is a pressing issue for our society and democracy, as a democracy cannot function if its citizens are misled or manipulated by falsehoods. Yet, amidst this, the younger generation’s pushback against fake news, social media manipulation, fast fashion, greed, gives me hope. Their willingness to question, challenge, and demand accountability may be the key to reversing these dangerous trends – BUT only if they are encouraged to be activist citizens. To stand up, speak out and fight back – our stewardship as the older generation is to help them do just that. 

Another source of my optimism lies in the resilience of communities. After the devastating summer riots in the UK last year, the way people came together to rebuild and support one another was a testament to the power of collective action. Similarly, the growing momentum behind grassroots movements—advocating for climate action, social justice, and political reform—demonstrates that change often begins at the local level.

Still, my fears linger. Inequalities continue to deepen, environmental degradation accelerates, and democratic norms are increasingly under siege. The cowardice of those in positions of power—those who refuse to make difficult decisions or take meaningful action—remains a significant obstacle to progress.

As we navigate 2025, the path forward will not be easy. But I remain hopeful. I believe in the power of communities, in the potential of young people, and in the ability of humanity to rise to the occasion when it matters most. To secure a fair, sustainable, and tolerant future, we must demand better from our leaders and from ourselves. It is a time for bold action, driven by collective purpose, to ensure that hope triumphs over fear.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned since 2016, it’s that we cannot afford to be complacent. The stakes are too high, but the future is ours to shape.

Professor Chris Grey, Professor of Business and Management Studies, author and authority on Brexit

From a Brexit standpoint, my main hope is for continued improvements in the tone of UK-EU relations, and for these to deliver some concrete agreements. I say agreements in the plural, as I do not envisage one big, single ‘new deal’, but incremental changes. 

My fear is not so much that these will be modest in scope, and in fact I don’t expect them to be anything else. Rather, my fear is that the British government will be too defensive and too coy about even those limited improvements that it may deliver. That may do something to tackle the damage of Brexit, but nothing to tackle the still vociferous pro-Brexit forces in politics and the media.

That matters, not least because until those forces are faced down any prospect for substantial improvements in relations with the EU will be limited. Why should the EU agree to too much if it is liable to be reversed by, potentially, the next government? But it also matters because the UK polity needs, collectively, to have an honest discussion about Brexit. It is now obvious that it has limited public support, and even those who advocated Brexit have to admit that it has not remotely delivered on the promises they made for it.

I think it is useful to compare this with the Munich Agreement and the Suez Crisis. Both were deeply divisive issues in their time, yet both are now almost universally accepted bywords for shameful failure. Almost no politician now would be scared to denounce them. We have to get to that point with Brexit and the sooner the better. It isn’t enough for the government just to talk about the ‘botched Brexit deal’ delivered by the Tories. Brexit has to be acknowledged as a historic strategic error, and for that to be the consensus view of all but a fringe minority, before any real change will become possible.

The extent of that error should become even clearer this year with the advent of what looks certain to be a highly disruptive and de-stabilizing second Trump presidency. That will underscore the fragility of Britain’s post-Brexit place in the world, as a medium-sized power and yet detached from any major economic or political bloc.

On the other hand, the incoming presidency is highly likely to give new energy to populist movements, perhaps especially in the UK. This inevitably mitigates against a domestic consensus about the error of Brexit, and, in turn, makes it more likely that the government will continue to be low-key and almost apologetic for any small improvements it makes. It is also quite likely that the government will try to navigate the Trump presidency in the hope that, eventually, things will revert to ‘business as usual’.

Overall, then, my hope for 2025 is the UK government will recognize and rise to a moment of fundamental strategic re-alignment. My fear is that it has neither the imagination nor the capacity nor the courage to do so.

Alexandra Hall Hall, Former British diplomat and Brexit Counsellor to Washington

It’s hard not to feel depressed at the start of 2025. This is not because our enemies have multiplied or become worse, but because the world’s most important ordering power has gone rogue. 

Any hope that Trump might govern in his second term with more respect for the norms of American democracy flew out of the window within hours of him taking office. His flurry of executive orders overturn decades of US domestic and foreign policy. The targets of his first hostile actions and expressions include immigrants, asylum seekers, federal workers, prosecutors, lawyers, judges, journalists, generals, diplomats, intelligence officials, regulators, inspectors, climate scientists, health experts, teachers, professors, LGBTQ advocates, free trade advocates, development agencies, NATO allies, EU members, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Cuba, Palestinians, the World Health Organisation, the International Criminal Court, the Governor of California, the Bishop of Washington Cathedral, the entire Federal Emergency Management Agency, Democrats, non-compliant Republicans, former colleagues who he no longer regards as loyal…the list goes on and on. Seemingly everyone, in fact, except members of his immediate family, tech titans and media moguls who have bought his favour, and angry white men in the MAGA movement, including those guilty of violent insurrection on January 6th 2021, for whom he issued sweeping pardons – creating in the process a cadre of loyal foot soldiers, who he can use to intimidate anyone in his way. 

It’s hard to find much reason for hope, especially when the Supreme Court is in his pocket, and both Republicans and Democrats seem so utterly cowed by Trump, that they are offering little meaningful resistance, even when Trump tramples over their constitutional rights, such as with his order delaying implementation of Congress’s ban of TikTok, or suspension of foreign aid which they have authorized.  

But these are early days. Eventually, Trump’s excesses will cause a backlash. His administration lacks ideological coherence. He has surrounded himself with incompetent people with giant egos, who will inevitably come into conflict with Trump and each other. For example, Elon Musk has already fallen out with Trump’s consigliere, Steve Bannon, and the man supposed to co-lead the new Department of Government Efficiency, Vivek Ramaswamy. Last week he publicly attacked Trump’s AI initiative. 

Trump’s economic policies, especially his plan to slap tariffs on trading partners around the world, spell disaster for American businesses and workers, and will drive up inflation. His immigration policies will disrupt businesses reliant on cheap labour. Ugly scenes of immigration raids in offices, schools, and churches will cause revulsion. 

Lawsuits will impede his most egregious policies, such as his attempt to overturn birthright citizenship, enshrined in the Constitution, or to fire federal workers without due process. Governors will push back against attempts to interfere with states’ rights. 

His bullying foreign policy may cause some short term wins, such as his muscling of Israel to sign a ceasefire deal with Hamas, and insistence that allies spend more on their own defence. But they will not produce lasting results. They will instead reduce goodwill towards the US, embolden adversaries, and open the way for China to fill the gap left by American retreat from the world stage.  

Eventually, even members of Trump’s own party, contemplating their re-election prospects, may find some spine. 

Nick Harvey,  Chief Executive – European Movement UK

In 2024, Britain replaced a zealously anti-European British government with one more benignly disposed to our European neighbours. What this means in practice will be largely determined during 2025.

Nick Harvey

A UK-EU summit is promised for the first half of this year. This is Britain’s opportunity to map out what it really wants the ‘reset’ to comprise. It is not for the EU to define this. We chose to leave. We are saying we want to reset. The onus is on us to say what we now want.

A deafening silence is coming out of London about what we do want. By the time political leaders gather for smiles and photos, serious work in negotiating a new understanding must be long completed. With a union of 27 member states, the agenda needs to be set, diplomatic groundwork concluded, and ‘turf rolled’ in capitals, parliaments and media across Europe. Wrinkles must be ironed out before political leaders turn up for the handshakes.

This process should be 50% complete by now to achieve much, but there is no sign of anything. We just hear a kneejerk ‘no’ in Whitehall. We knew the customs union and single market were ‘red lines’ but why on earth rule out a youth mobility scheme almost universally popular with voters and having tangible benefits for our economy? They must embrace this – and fast.

Donald Trump’s return is the other significant development. We must judge him by what he does, not what he says. He sprays wild rhetoric around as a negotiating tactic. He hopes to resolve the Ukraine war by manoeuvring Putin and Zelensky into a deal. This will be difficult.

Albeit slowly and at terrible cost, Putin is winning – why make a deal when time is on his side? And if Ukraine accepts Russia’s land seizures as the price of peace, how can they or their neighbours believe Putin will stop there and not come back for more? Any deal must accept the shrunken Ukraine joining both the EU and NATO, with European NATO forces moving up to the new border even if America isn’t interested.

Trump is deadly serious about tariffs. He objects to trade deficits with other nations. He will impose tariffs based on those deficits. Here we have a ticklish problem. UK-US trade is uniquely well balanced – a slight advantage to America in 2023, potentially to Britain in 2024. So, he may impose low – or no – tariffs on us, while stinging the EU. This will cause UK-EU friction which we can do nothing about – we can hardly volunteer to pay higher tariffs which America isn’t charging.

My final fear is on climate change – the greatest threat the world faces. Trump has pulled America out of the Paris accords and right-wing EU governments are trying to erode Europe’s lead on this. So far, the EU Commission is holding fast, but the threat of watering down is real. Are we really going to look to China for a global lead on this? That really is scary!

David Henig, Leading UK authority on international trade policy 

As we approach a decade from the Brexit referendum, UK debate about the EU remains largely immature and unrealistic. That’s where I hope to see change, without which there’s little prospect of improving relations significantly.

Taking a practical example, the EU ask on youth mobility really shouldn’t be an obstacle to UK goals around relationship reset, given such schemes exist with countries including South Korea and Australia. Yet we are hearing from the pro-Brexit crowd that this will mean importing every unemployed youngster from 27 countries as well as agreeing to EU asks on NHS and university fees.

In other words, they are saying the UK is so weak it will have to do exactly what the EU asks. Not exactly a vote of confidence in their own project.

If only this wasn’t mirrored on the pro-EU side, whose discussions on the theoretical possibility of rejoining insist that there would definitively be no opt-outs. Perhaps that’s right, but it is the same expectation that the UK has no power.

At the same time, we hear suggestions that the UK is also tremendously strong. So much so that the EU would definitely want us back as members, or that we bestride the world doing deals.

Dull though it may be, the reality of the UK as a middling power with some negotiating capacity, but less than that of the EU, seems to be rarely spoken. Until that’s understood, we’ll just keep going round in circles.

Also, how have we not learnt that the EU is a political and legal entity where rules are important but can be flexible? Again, pro and anti-EU camps seem similar in thinking it is much more, a global salvation or evil empire.

Less talk of UK red lines obstructing progress would also be helpful. Every country has their own lines, this is absolutely normal, also that they can and will evolve. What’s more important to the EU is what has rarely happened, a good-faith negotiation. That will open the door to more.

Fault isn’t entirely on one side, and we can criticise some in the EU for a negative approach to a new government particularly in negotiating positions on youth mobility and SPS. But then we’d also have to complain about a UK government that took some convincing there wasn’t an automatic renegotiation in 2026 and doesn’t seem to realise it has to shape the relationship through public discussion of objectives. Without which Brussels just sees the same old UK, scared yet somehow wanting barriers removed.

There’s room for development all round. That includes me, for while I’m grateful to hear that Brussels thinks I get some of this right and London should listen more, that means I haven’t been succeeding in either place.

By the end of the year, I’d love to be thinking about how to improve relations more than explaining the basics. My fear is I’ll be writing the same piece with slightly different words. Taking a balanced view, I suspect there will be slow progress.

Peter Corr, Founder of UK Rejoin the EU Ltd and National Rejoin March

With the country screaming and polling at the government that we do not want to move closer to the USA with a one-sided trade deal (which the new President has clearly and repeatedly stated will be the case – “America First trade deals”), the phrase “Reject Trump – Rejoin EU” has been seen far and wide across social media. It gives me hope and reminds me of another time a few years ago.

When “No Deal” was being bandied about in Parliament during the Brexit process, despite getting quite a bit of push-back for my stance, I thought and still think we should have left the EU with “No Deal”. Hear me out!

I knew that if we left the EU with a trade deal, even the thread-bare one we have, that it would be used by the loudest people to say, “Brexit never happened” and/or “This isn’t the Brexit we voted for”. From that point, they would be able to continue blaming the EU for the country’s problems, continue to blame immigrants for our frustrations and never take responsibility. I even rang in to James O’Brien’s show on LBC to air the view, to which he agreed and also said it was similar to Alistair Campbell’s stance.

I wanted us to leave without a deal, giving them exactly what they said they wanted, which I know would have caused even more harm, even more quickly, to all of us – but it would also have sped up the process of Rejoin immensely. How could it not? Therefore, we would hurt more, but for much less time. The old saying, “no pain, no gain”.

So, Trump winning on a ticket of having a massive trade war around the world is similar to me, in that the catastrophe of what he’s saying is pushing people here, even people who may not have been ready yet, back towards Europe, clearly who we really have a ‘special relationship’ with. If, as I suspect, Trump’s team give Starmer’s team short shrift as they try to strike a deal (despite the country saying we don’t even want that), Starmer will be forced to stand up and tell the country that they cannot agree a deal.

It is at this point that it becomes a perfect opportunity for Starmer to bite the bullet and do what almost 90% of under 25s want for their future – to Rejoin the EU or say we should now at least consider it. He can sell it easily. We can stay on our own, skint – or we can join our European neighbours once more. It can be truthfully sold as urgent and essential for national security and the economy.

I also believe the EU would fast-track it, bring the 6th biggest economy back into the block, so we can stand together against Trump’s greedy, bullying tactics – as well as crush the rise of the far right across Europe. Who is going to see the UK leave, swerve to the far right, then almost straight away u-turn and come back to the EU after a number of years proving being outside the EU isn’t the way to go.

So, in a way, my hopes and fears for 2025 are tied together. I fear what continuing to be outside the EU does to our country and people. I fear what Trump’s heavily nationalistic ways are going to do to the world, our country and people – but, the harder he goes in, the quicker I believe, the UK will get back to the EU and decent people around the world will come together to protect each other and fight the clear and present fascism in our countries – that’s the hope.

Next month

Graham Hughes

Graham is a campaigner, adventurer, filmmaker, television presenter and Guinness World Record holder, being the first person to visit all 193 United Nations member states across the world without flying. If you would like to submit a question for Graham, please email us enquiries@bremaininspain.com no later than Sunday 10 February.

Elon Musk’s war on ‘free speech’ and truth – should Britain consider banning X?

Elon Musk’s war on ‘free speech’ and truth – should Britain consider banning X?

Jan 14, 2025 | Bylines, News

Musk’s social media platform X fuels disinformation, hate, and political interference. How long can his ‘free speech’ hypocrisy go unchecked? Bremain Vice Chair Lisa Burton writes for Yorkshire Bylines.

Addicted to his own platform, free speech hypocrite and walking God complex Elon Musk, is clearly indulging in political interference on a vast scale. Search ‘ban X’ on BlueSky or X. You will see growing calls for governments to act against X for its role in disinformation and Musk’s recent attacks on sovereign nations and their elected politicians.

Musk supports free speech, his advocates say, but there are glaring contradictions amongst the ‘free speech’ warrior brigade. Firstly, their rampant hypocrisy. They support free speech when it works for them and attack those who use it to condemn them. The facts prove that Musk himself is a free speech hypocrite who has his own posts amplified by his algorithms x1,000, threatens to sue companies that refuse to advertise on his platform, and shuts down and censors accounts that disagree with him.

But his ‘free speech’ hypocrisy doesn’t register with his followers. Blatant misinformation is not ‘free speech’ either, and his supporters seem to have no issue either with this or his ‘foreign interference’ purely because it supports their cause.

Here is Nigel Farage giving us a masterclass in hypocrisy:

2024: Nigel Farage, "Elon Musk is fully behind us.. He wants to help us.. He is not opposed to give is money"

2018: Nigel Farage, "George Soros has attempted to change the political climate in Britain"

HT @adamjschwarz.bsky.social good finds 👏

[image or embed]

— Farrukh (@implausibleblog.bsky.social) 19 December 2024 at 23:16

Free speech is not free from consequence

Free speech is not free from consequence. The term has been hijacked and distorted by the populist hard right. What they desire is the ability to lie blatantly, spread fake ‘news’, use racist, sexist, and violent rhetoric, sway elections and government policy, and coordinate online and personal attacks on people, media and groups of people they disagree with. Well, that’s not how it works, and Musk is walking a tight rope, both personally, and by his flouting of various countries’ online safely laws.

There’s nothing to stop you saying someone’s committed a crime when they haven’t; you can request that people take violent action against someone; you can call for someone to be killed, or scream ‘fire’ in a crowded cinema. But all these things fall outside the allowed parameters of free speech and are criminal. The wider safety of communities and individuals must be considered, and these laws exist to protect us all.

Inciting violence is not free speech. Hate speech is not free speech. Sending false or threatening communications is not free speech. They are crimes, online or off.

Musk’s misinformation and misogyny

There is no function of X to report fake news anymore, which is intentional. For some time, Musk has been sharing misinformation and disinformation on X. As a result, universities and other higher education establishments, political parties, journalists and many police forces have joined a retreat among British institutions from the X social media platform. They have been declining further engagement, citing its role in spreading misinformation and content that promotes violence.

For example, US election analysis showed that Musk’s debunked and misleading election claims were viewed more than two billion times on X. And last December, he endorsed a post referring to Americans as ‘retarded’, in respect to the H-1B visa, and has even used the term himself.

It is also claimed that Musk, who has previously been accused of sexual misconduct, “knowingly and purposefully created an unwelcome hostile work environment based upon his conduct of interjecting into the workplace vile sexual photographs, memes, and commentary that demeaned women and/or the LGBTQ+ community” and other vile things mentioned here.

Musk’s attacks on Jess Phillips

Posting sometimes hundreds of times a day, the vast majority of Musk’s social media communications ignore factual evidence. And his continued attacks on Britain have been relentless since Labour came to power.

At the beginning of 2025, he attacked Keir Starmer’s safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, describing her as a “rape genocide apologist” and “an evil witch” who should be in jail. This was after Phillips rejected Oldham Council’s calls for a government inquiry into the so-called ‘grooming gangs’ scandal in Oldham, saying that Oldham should “take its own approach”. To date, there have been several local and national inquiries into group-based child sexual exploitation, including an “ongoing major enquiry” commissioned by Andy Burnham on behalf of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Phillips has spent most of her career working with survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and human trafficking. Before becoming an MP, she ran a women’s shelter. Speaking about Musk’s attacks, she said it was “painful” to watch child sexual exploitation becoming a “political football”. Many of Musk’s 200+ million followers believe what he tweets. This puts Phillips – who already receives an incredible volume of abuse and death threats – at risk of serious harm.

Starmer and grooming gangs

Musk has accused Starmer, the UK prime minister, of “hiding terrible things” and has called for him “to go to prison” regarding grooming gangs. But nearly every aspect of his commentary in recent days has been false.

He claims that the story of grooming gangs has been covered up. While this was certainly the case when the offences first started being reported more than 20 years ago, the media have reported on it extensively for many years and there have been multiple inquires.

He claims Starmer failed to address it when he was director of public prosecutions. Yet Starmer dedicated his career to pursing offenders and as the Independent reports, “the Tories found no evidence [he] soft-pedalled on prosecuting the gangs who groomed and raped vulnerable girls”. Andrew Norfolk, the investigative reporter who initially did so much to uncover the story and won awards for it, said recently: “I want to put the record straight on this … It was Starmer who changed the rules to make more prosecutions possible.”

Starmer has admitted that mistakes were previously made, but he put provisions in place to correct them, and, under his tenure, went on to deliver a record number of convictions for sexual assault. He also worked hard to “challenge myths and stereotypes” that had prevented victims and survivors of sexual assault from being heard.

It’s evident that Phillips and Starmer have done more to protect women and girls than figures like Farage and Musk who appear to be attempting to use the victims for political gain.

Why is Musk attacking Europe and Britain?

Musk has also attacked other European countries and leaders, particularly Germany, where he has voiced his support for Germany’s far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), some sections of which have been designated “right-wing extremist”.

What is really behind these attacks? It’s no coincidence that the EU is cracking down on online misinformation. A law was enacted in 2022 to require companies that have at least 45 million monthly users to put in place systems to control the spread of misinformation, hate speech and terrorist propaganda, among other things, or risk penalties of up to 6% of global annual revenue or even a ban in EU countries. The UK is working on similar protective laws.

So Musk is not happy. But he’s also upset by the fact that Labour has said the UK government will continue to use X for official communications but will withdraw paid-for advertising on the platform. This happened after Musk attacked Labour and Starmer and was called out by the Telegraph for a fake story on ‘detainment camps’. Under the Conservatives, Whitehall departments spent £5.4mn on X adverts in 2022.

The man-child Musk is throwing a strop.

X has been restricted and banned in other countries

Caught between the restrictions of authoritarian regimes and the investigations of democratic countries, X has found itself blocked to some extent or other by 37 countries since 2015. Last year, Brazil’s supreme court ordered a nationwide ban on X after it failed to name a legal representative in the country and failed to suspend accounts for allegedly spreading misinformation.

So it’s certainly possible to ban X, particularly if Musk refuses to comply with local laws or if intelligence agencies deem him to be a threat to national security. Indeed, counter-extremism units in the UK are now probing Musk’s tweets, with experts saying Musk’s social media activity “comfortably sits within any definition of an extremist”.

Should the UK ban X?

There are differing opinions on this. Yes, Musk is a threat to democracy and his goading of the UK and Europe is intentional. It wouldn’t be surprising if his aim is indeed to force governments to take action against X; but we shouldn’t. Banning or restricting X will only give him and the others the ammunition they so dearly crave to say the UK is authoritarian or doesn’t believe in ‘free speech’.

What the UK needs to do urgently, along with other countries en masse, is to get to grips with social media companies in general to ensure they comply with online safety laws. The evidence that they have been corrupting democracies and allowing political interference in elections is abundantly clear. Their role in causing societal division is also apparent and only going to worsen.

Money talks – social media companies should be heavily fined and made to conform to existing laws. Governments should urgently look at enacting laws similar to those that publishers have to follow, while ensuring platforms have robust mechanisms in place to report and remove disinformation quickly. Until they do, the way these companies are run means there is currently no such thing as a free or fair democracy.

Opposing the regime in Georgia

Opposing the regime in Georgia

Jan 1, 2025 | Bylines, News

Georgian opposition MP Saba Buadze speaks about protests, repression, Russian interference and international sanctions, writes Bremain Treasurer Helen Johnston for Yorkshire Bylines. 

Since the elections in Georgia on 26 October, thousands of Georgians have been protesting constantly in the streets, and many have faced brutal reprisals. Saba Buadze is an MP in the Lelo for Georgia party, one of four forming the pro-Western Strong Georgia coalition. He and his fellow opposition MPs are boycotting parliament in support of the protesters. I talked to him on Christmas Eve about what is currently happening in his country and his hopes and fears for the coming weeks.

Georgia, EU membership and the Russian playbook

Buadze says that an overwhelming majority, 90% of the public, supports the opposition parties’ aspirations for EU integration. The governing Georgian Dream party, which has announced Georgia will not pursue EU membership, won in elections that were, in his words, “rigged, falsified, with the official data manipulated”. This view is supported by international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. As Buadze says:

“A lot of the tools used by the pro-Russian government in this election, which we believe is in direct contact with the Kremlin, are the basic tools from the Russian playbook. This includes election rigging techniques. This also includes propaganda, misinformation and various other tools of corruption and intimidation that are all part of a well-tested Russian playbook that we have seen in other countries. In the US elections, Serbian elections, you name it. These Russian hybrid warfare tools have been of wide use internationally.”

The Georgian Dream party, which is controlled by the Russian-backed oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, has selected a pro-Russian former football player to replace the elected president Salome Zourabichvili. She has said she will not step down until new elections are held. According to Buadze:

“She is speaking for the bigger part of the public, and she is the only legitimate highest representative of our country. I believe that she is currently representing the national sentiment that is overwhelming and that has the support of the majority of the Georgian population.”

Repression and the Georgian Dream party

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze recently said “President Zourabichvili will have to leave office on December 29. Let’s see where she continues her life – behind bars or outside”. Buadze believes “anything is possible at this moment, including the incarceration of the president, including the incarceration of political leaders, myself included. Members of the public have been already jailed”.

Zourabichvili spoke on Friday 27 December to Alistair Campbell and Rory Stewart on their ‘The rest is politics’ programme. She would not say what she plans to do on 29 December, but it is to be hoped that increasing international pressure will help stay the ruling party’s hand. On Saturday 28 December, US Republican representative Joe Wilson tweeted: “As the only legitimate leader in Georgia, I am grateful to extend an invite to President Salome Zurabishvili to attend the inauguration of President Donald Trump. I am in awe of her courage in the face of the assault by Ivanishvili and his friends in the CCP and Iranian regime.”

As the situation becomes more tense, Buadze believes Georgian Dream is capable of anything, and the use of repressive methods will increase: “We are at the stage of autocracy, and we are going downhill now.” Over recent years there has been a process of state capture, with public institutions and branches of the government, including the judiciary, the constitutional court, and many others, falling into the hands of the Georgian Dream party:

“The only institution that is outside the party’s grip is the office of the presidency. The president herself. And that’s why we’re saying that the president is the only highest, legitimate representative of the country and the Georgian people. Repression is going to increase proportionally, or maybe disproportionally. And I believe that pressure on public servants and other types of intimidation techniques are going to increase as well.”

 

Resistance in Georgia

There have been some optimistic signs of resistance. A few ambassadors have resigned and some civil servants have issued open statements in support of EU integration and “against the Georgian Dream decision to turn its back on the EU”. But this resistance is sporadic, and “we have to understand that over 12 years, Georgian Dream has done everything to gain total control over the civil service in Georgia, and to transform it into a party-serving machine. The judicial branch is fully in the pockets of Bidzina Ivanishviliand is a major service provider for the autocratic tasks that Ivanishvili is giving them”.

Buadze welcomes the sanctions and interventions announced by various Western countries, including the UK, though he says “I believe that they are a little too late, but it’s better late than never”. Emmanuel Macron’s direct intervention was a very clear and very important signal to the Georgian people that European leaders are directly concerned. He hopes Macron’s example will encourage other leaders to “participate in the process of saving Georgia from this Russian operation”. The presidents of Poland and the Czech Republic have also issued statements.

International pressure on Georgian Dream

On 18 December in Strasbourg, Zurabishvili told the European parliament that “Europe has so far only met the challenge halfway. It has been slow to wake up and slow to react. Much more could and should be done”. Buadze recognises that it is difficult for the EU to act, with Hungary and Slovakia wielding vetoes: “We have seen that Russian interference and the partners of Vladimir Putin are also to be found inside the European Union.” There are, he argues however, many other tools that countries and blocs of countries can use to get around the “deadlock” in the EU because of the Hungarian factor.

The UK was one of the signatories of the Vienna Mechanism letter that was sent to the Georgian ambassador to NATO on 20 December, with 28 other countries, including the US. Buadze believes that:

“Any pressure is priceless at this moment. Any kind of pressure that our partners are willing to exert against Georgian Dream and in favour of the Georgian people is of critical importance, because there are two things that are keeping our European and pro-Western aspirations alive. These are the protest of the Georgian people and the steps that our international partners are taking. Any international endeavour, any international tool or sanctions, or whatever our partners are pursuing, is of critical importance to us at this moment, especially from such a major player as the United Kingdom.”

 

UK support for Georgia

Buadze spoke of the UK’s strong historic ties to Georgia dating to the period after the First World War, when British troops were stationed there to support the first republic until the Soviet invasion. British support resumed after the Soviet Union collapsed, and “has been manifested in many ways, financial, intellectual, cultural and media, over the years. This is part of the soft power that the UK exerts internationally”.

When the Red Army invaded Georgia in 1921, the republican government reached out to Britain and other Western forces for help. “Unfortunately, this call was left unanswered 100 years ago. I hope this time Georgia will not be left alone and I’m optimistic, because we have seen very close international involvement of our partners since this turmoil has started in Georgia.”

What will Trump do about Georgia?

Much now depends on the direction the new US administration takes. The Republican congressional leadership is making the right noises, but “we will have to wait for January 20 and what will happen afterwards”. Zurabishvili did speak informally with Donald Trump at the Notre Dame reopening ceremony, urging him “to see the urgency of US involvement in this process, because the US has been a very close and important partner for Georgia in the process of democratization and in the process of Western integration”.

“Trump is unpredictable, but I hope that this unpredictability will play out in favour of the Georgian public, because the pseudo-conservative, ultra-right political power that Georgian Dream has crystallized into, they think that they have a lot of similarities with Trump, and they share some ideas with Trump, which I believe is completely false. I believe that the Trump presidency can be an important opportunity for the US-Georgia relationship to improve and reach a new strategic level.”

The signs are hopeful and since we spoke, the US has announced sanctions against Ivanishvili, which have been widely welcomed by the Georgian protesters.

How can we help Georgian protesters?

Finally, I asked Buadze what democracy activists and media channels outside Georgia can do to raise awareness of the protests, without endangering the people there:

“What has happened is fully equivalent to torture and inhumane and degrading behaviour. We have seen people who have been detained, robbed by the representatives of the police and the thugs that are serving Georgian Dream. We will do what we can to maintain the international focus.

“It is very difficult for Georgia to stay on top of the news cycle. But then again, it is a challenge that we have to address locally, with our local resistance and with a very clear demonstration that we are not going to back down and that we’re going to continue to fight. And I believe that this message is what keeps Georgia in the international spotlight.”

Ordinary protesters in Georgia fear reprisals if they speak out in the foreign media. Buatze says he has himself experienced police brutality. “But I am a political leader, so anything I say and do is public and out in the open.” Politicians, activists and all concerned for the future of democracies around the world will be watching Georgia over the coming days and wishing the Georgian people well. In Buatze’s words:

“Georgia needs all the help there is from its international partners, others who share the democratic values, who believe that democracy is the best form of governance, who believe that European and pro-Western values that are based on the supremacy of human rights. All those who believe in these causes, all those who believe in the UN Charter, all those who believe in the European Convention of Human Rights must, must do anything that is in their power to assist the Georgian people in the fight against Russia and Russian style authoritarianism…

“It is in the interest of the collective security of Europe to contain this aggressor, and people, especially on the eastern part of the European Union, especially those sharing borders with Russia or close to Russia, should understand that this aggression, these methods, they do not stop with Ukraine and Georgia.”