Election 2024: Conservatives face backlash from British citizens living overseas

Election 2024: Conservatives face backlash from British citizens living overseas

Jan 29, 2024 | Bylines, News

Is the Conservative Party wise to hire a coordinator to drum up support from British citizens living overseas? Sue Wilson MBE, Bremain Chair, writes for Yorkshire Bylines. 

On 16 January, UK voting rights were finally restored to disenfranchised British citizens living overseas. After decades of campaigning and years of broken manifesto promises, millions of Britons outside of the UK may finally have something to thank the Conservative Party for. Or so the government might think.

No sooner had overseas Brits welcomed the news that our democratic rights had been restored than we were affronted by reports of the recruitment of an ‘overseas voter registration coordinator’. The task of the government’s new coordinator is to mobilise support from abroad in 100 key target seats, including many of those in the ‘red wall’.

What the government may have misunderstood – and not for the first time – is the sheer level of anger and frustration felt by overseas British citizens at the way we have been ignored, excluded and misrepresented, especially over Brexit.

 

Conservatives faring badly at home

The latest YouGov Westminster voting intention figures (2–3 January 2024) show the Conservatives are suffering badly in the polls – languishing at only 22%, with Labour well in front on 46%. Bad enough, but the latest figures are even worse than those for the previous month, so the government’s ‘popularity’ is getting worse. The prime minister’s own ratings are faring no better either, including from within his own party.

With an election looming, the government will no doubt be aiming to pull out all the stops in an effort to turn the tide of public opinion. But based on recent failed attempts – by the prime minister especially – to claim achievements not in evidence, or to point the finger of blame at those not in power, the British public have wised up.

Perhaps the government believes that Brits living overseas will look on them more favourably since they restored our voting rights. Perhaps they believe that we don’t pay as close attention to what they’ve been up to as those living closer to Westminster. Perhaps they even believe, like many of the British public, that we’re all wealthy, retired and politically illiterate. They’d be wrong on all counts

 

British citizens living overseas: we haven’t forgotten

Four years on from Brexit, and seven and a half years after the referendum, the wounds we suffered still smart. Many were denied their democratic voting rights in the 2016 referendum. Many were denied the opportunity to vote against a Brexit government in subsequent general elections.

Yet we still had to deal with the consequences and the removal of our rights, benefits and opportunities. Those valuable EU citizenship rights – not least our freedom of movement – were ours, we were led to believe, for life. Now we, and you, have less rights and protections, and those wishing to follow in our footsteps are less able to do so.

While the anger, upset and shock of Brexit may have abated a little, the government continue to give us plenty to get mad about. Even from a distance, it’s difficult to ignore the extremist leanings of an increasingly desperate – and let’s be honest, barking mad – government. We may not live in the UK, but we are not blind or deaf, even if the government have continually treated us as though we were.

 

A rude awakening beckons

If the Conservatives seriously believed that restoring our overseas voting rights would work in their electoral favour, they may be in for a very rude awakening. Former Times correspondent, William Chislett, who has lived in Spain since 1986, told the I newspaper, “Over the last 14 years, they have broken Britain. There are 150 reasons to get them out”. He added in a tweet, “No party could be worse than the current Conservatives” – an opinion widely shared both at home and abroad.

Debbie Williams MBE, former Conservative supporter and founder of campaign group Brexpats – Hear our Voice, summed up the feeling of many as follows:

“They can try and garner all the support from UK citizens overseas but I can tell you one thing, we have long memories.”

 

Williams added, “they threw us under the Brexit bus so they’d better think again as they are going to be punished into eternity at the ballot box”.

It remains to be seen what the government might do next to influence the votes of former Conservative supporters both at home and abroad, but their options are fast running out. Their rhetoric – factual or otherwise – is no longer getting through. Everything they have tried to date has failed miserably, and they have lost the public’s trust.

Gina Miller, leader of the True & Fair Party and prospective MP for Epsom and Ewell, asked the question “what bribe will they try to entice expats to vote for them? Bribery is all they have left!”. Whatever enticement they might try, it’s not going to work because whatever they promise us now, we’re never going to believe a word of it.

Bremainers Ask 2023 highlights

Bremainers Ask 2023 highlights

Jan 1, 2024 | Bremainers Ask, News

What did this year’s contributors have to say about rejoining the EU?

Gina Miller: What do you think will be the path and timescale to rejoining the EU?

Under EU law, the UK is now a third country, so it would have to reapply and undergo the whole accession procedure from scratch, under Article 49 of the Treaty of European Union. Art. 49 states that “any European State” which respects the common EU values and is “committed to promoting them may apply to become a member of the union”. These values include “human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law”. In other words, even though our present Government is lurching to the right, we would still qualify.

On average, it has taken approximately nine years for recent members to join, from submitting a membership application to signing an accession treaty, for example Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, and Lithuania. But our having been members for 40 years would be a huge advantage over these countries. The fact that we have not diverged significantly from EU rules and regulations post Brexit is also beneficial. New border checks on EU imports have been delayed for a fifth time until January 2024, and the requirement for UK manufactured goods to have a UKCA instead of a EUCA mark from 2025 has been scrapped.

In other areas we are actively aligning with the EU: Horizon; aligning with the EU timeline for phasing out petrol and diesel cars; new food standards; and recoupling our electricity trading with the EU.

The question is purely a political one. It took Sweden and Finland only three years from application to the signing of an accession treaty. I see no reason why this time frame is not feasible for the UK, especially as we now have Poland and Ukraine as supporters of us rejoining.

 

Dominic Grieve: Why are our politicians so reluctant to talk about Brexit and rejoining the EU when the public have demonstrably changed their minds?

The public has clearly concluded that Brexit has not worked out as they hoped, but that is a different thing from saying they want to go back in. Returning will not be on the same terms we enjoyed when we left and will be a complex negotiation. This is why politicians avoid the issue. As time passes, however, it will become unavoidable, as it becomes obvious that there is no substitute to our building a much closer relationship with the EU.

 

Mike Galsworthy: How could a future rejoin campaign learn from the mistakes of 2016 to make a positive case for selling EU membership to British voters next time round?

Well, that’s why the rejoin campaign is starting right now and learning right now! You cannot wait on last minute persuasion; you have to try and win before the contest itself actually starts. For me, the biggest lesson from 2016 was exactly that. By 2016, the Leave side had campaign veterans championing Brexit. They’d been at it for 25 years. They knew each other, they’d tested lines on it, toured around, found financial backers and sympathetic media. The Stronger In campaign, when it came together in late 2015, was constructed of people who were woefully naïve on matters European, and green as green could be on campaigning. So, for me, lesson one has always been to build, train and fully equip the army long before the battle. And if you look at what we have actually built since 2016, it is quite phenomenal. We have lots of veterans around, lots of hard knocks, lots of experience and lots of local groups who have lived through the tough times. We’ve built character and resources – community online and community knowledge about our core arguments – and now we’re really building central capacity at pace.

That’s the primary lesson. The second lesson is to be able to go out and meet people at their point of need. The huge comms errors of both Stronger In and People’s Vote was to think that endlessly repeating “economic damage” and “we demand a people’s vote” as pretty much catch-all campaign messages was going to turn people around.

Society is much more granular. People care about their own and their community identities, and community priorities. Yes, Vote Leave was saying “take back control”, but they were also going into actual communities and telling them “take back control so you can catch more fish from your own waters”, “take back control and scrap the stupid common agricultural policy”, “take back control of immigration to clear out these Eastern European workers that are sleeping six men to a room and undercutting what you can reasonably charge”, “take back control so we can get your Bangladeshi family over here once we stop the flood of European free movement taking their place”.

You see? That’s how the messaging was tailored to meet people at their point of need/desire. Yes, it was all BS and shamefully so, but it was all based upon what different communities wanted. When did PV do anything like that? We absolutely need to understand community need – and meet those communities at their point of need with our offerings, but unlike the Leave campaign, make sure they are solid promises and those communities stay onboard all the way to delivery. Brexit is failing because the promises didn’t hold up. Rejoin will be a success if the promises do.

Prof. Juliet Lodge: Many believe that the EU would be cautious about considering any UK application to rejoin. Do you agree?

Yes and no. Yes, because the Conservative Governments appear to have flippantly squandered achievements and wallow in toddler theatrics instead of genuinely seeking to have a constructive, working relationship with our closest allies and partners.

Yes, because there seems to have been a lack of understanding at the most basic level about how we worked when in the EU, and how the EU has worked (well) and developed progressive political agendas and policies without us. Yes, because purely from the point of view of presentation, too many Government and opposition politicians display deep ignorance about political realities in Europe and the UK’s increasingly irrelevant position in it.

And yes, because many feel that Article 50 should not be invoked frivolously in the expectation that its consequences can be overturned the moment things don’t quite accord with what the state who invoked it wanted. I feel that Article 50 should never have been included years later as an amendment to the original founding treaties. When the EU was created, there was no clause to leave it. European integration was the promise to work to solve problems together, in effect, forever.

No, because many EU leaders and politicians and officials, business and civil society representatives would welcome us back in the EU as soon as possible. Why? The UK co-created some of the greatest steps leading the EU to become what it is today: freedom of movement, the single market (warts and all), cooperation on defence and security, ErasmusPlus, health, climate, food and safety standards, police and judicial cooperation, and many more. The UK helped draft and agree some of the regulations which are acknowledged as genuine world standards, including the GDPR.

The friendship group created by Terry Reintke MEP is looking after ‘our star’ until we return to the EU as members. By then, many of those who knew the UK as a constructive EU member may have retired so we can’t just rely on them to be our advocate. But we can do our bit on a people-to-people basis to sustain, expand and deepen our links. Above all, we can show that a country outside the EU, which has a bigger pro-EU movement than any of the EU’s current members, is educated, interested, dynamic and a trustworthy partner who would add value to the EU.

It’s our job to educate ourselves in order to give our children a fighting chance of being in the EU, enjoying the opportunities that arise from having shared values and a commitment to democracy and working together with their European peers to improve the well-being of their communities. Isolation on a global stage is daft, on a regional stage it heralds oblivion.

Siobhan Benita: Do you foresee the UK rejoining the EU? If so, what would be the timescale and steps on the way?

I absolutely foresee the UK re-joining the EU. As time passes, the economic damage that Brexit has caused for the UK will become increasingly obvious and fewer and fewer people will be prepared to defend it (or even admit they voted for it). We are already seeing a shift in the narrative with papers like The Telegraph and Daily Mail running articles highlighting some of the negative consequences of Brexit. In addition, pressure for the UK to re-join will come from younger generations as they reach voting age and want to access all the freedoms that we previously enjoyed as part of EU membership.

Given that I would like us to re-join the EU tomorrow, the timescale will never be as quick as I want but I do think it’s possible for it to happen in a matter of years rather than decades. In terms of the main steps along the way, the immediate priority is to get the Tories out with tactical voting at the next general election. I also believe that we desperately need electoral reform and a move to a more proportional system should ensure that we never again have a government with so much power but so little reflection of the voting public as a whole.

Sunak delivers speech alongside Europe’s hard-right populists

Sunak delivers speech alongside Europe’s hard-right populists

Dec 26, 2023 | Bylines, News

Rishi Sunak rubs shoulders with hard-right leaders at political festival in Rome, writes Bremain Treasurer Helen Johnston for Yorkshire Bylines.

 

Rishi Sunak is clearly short on friends these days. Reinforcing ties with countries that newly-minted Lord Cameron calls Britain’s “friends, neighbours and partners” seems laudable, but is a right-wing political festival in Rome, organised by Giorgia Meloni’s hardline Brothers of Italy party, really the diplomatic place to start?

Five years ago the headline guests at the ‘Atreju’ festival were Steve Bannon, the ‘brains’ behind Donald Trump, and everybody’s favourite right-wing troublemaker, Nigel Farage. In 2019, Hungary’s Victor Orbán took centre stage at the conference.

These are all figures that are considered to lurk on the hard-right of European and international politics. Not exactly your respectable, mainstream politicians. So, what does it tell us that the prime minister of the United Kingdom is now prepared to follow in their footsteps?

 

Sunak takes the platform

Speaking at the festival, Sunak used the platform to warn that “enemies” were “deliberately driving people to our shores to try and destabilise our society” and called for changes to the international framework on asylum rules. His comments have duly drawn criticism from opposition MPs, with Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson stating:

“Infighting within the Conservative party is now generating a bidding war to see who can make the most toxic contribution to the debate … instead of posturing, Rishi Sunak would do better to focus on tackling the asylum backlog that is leaving people in limbo and costing the taxpayers billions.”

Sunak is rubbing shoulders with Elon Musk, who has brought the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) into disrepute since he bought it out, and the leader of Spain’s hard-right VOX party, Santiago Abascal.

 

Who are VOX?

VOX has emerged as the main far-right party in Spain over the past few years, its popularity boosted by a backlash against Catalan independence, and a socially conservative reaction to progressive policies including women’s, gay and trans rights.

Abascal is facing calls for a police investigation following remarks in which he claimed a time would come when the Spanish people would want to see current prime minister Pedro Sánchez “strung up by his feet”. He was recently one of the instigators of mass demonstrations that spilled over into riots, protesting against Sánchez’s coalition deal with Catalan nationalist parties. At those protests, Abascal was spotted in the company of US polemicist and conspiracy theorist, Tucker Carlson, who remarkably managed to be sacked by Fox News for being too extreme, even for them.

Last week, Pedro Sánchez spoke at the European Parliament to review the Spanish presidency, which ends this month. A VOX MEP intervened to say:

“Mr Sánchez, you will go down in history. Generations of Spaniards will study in history books your narcissistic, manipulative, uncaring and morally unscrupulous conduct. Millions of Spaniards live on the poverty line, and you decided to fleece the middle classes by raising taxes and distributing European funds to public bodies to weave your web of personal favours. Millions of Europeans are unsafe on the streets, but you decided to surrender our borders to the arrival of mass immigration.” (my translation)

By the company you keep, shall you be known

Sunak’s flirting with the European hard-right has not gone unnoticed in the foreign media, and European leaders, including Spain’s new prime minister, will also surely be taking note.

When he appeared before the Lords European Affairs Committee, Cameron said he hoped that “a lot of the heat and anger has come out of the relationship [with Europe]” and he is keen to start talking with EU countries about easing certain rules and restrictions. It is difficult to see how his prime minister’s schmoozing with hard-right eurosceptic populists like Meloni and Abascal will help that process.

Bremainers Ask …… Annette Dittert

Bremainers Ask …… Annette Dittert

Nov 30, 2023 | Bremainers Ask, News

Born in Cologne, Annette Dittert is a German author, filmmaker, correspondent, and journalist and regular commentator on British politics and Brexit. She has worked for ARD German TV since 2001, as a war correspondent in Poland, a senior correspondent in New York, and since 2008 as bureau chief in London.

In 2019, Annette was awarded the title of “political journalist of the year” for her reporting on Brexit.

Steve Wilson : British political moves to the right/far-right have been equated to the politics of Germany in the 1930s. Is this a fair assessment and what can we learn from the lessons of history?

No, I do not think you can compare this to the situation of Germany in the 1930s. Although British politics have moved to the right, and the Tories have been undermining liberal democracy and the rule of law again and again, so far, I think the centre holds. The Covid Enquiry, the Partygate enquiry, and also the Supreme Court and its judgment on Rwanda show that the British institutions safeguarding democracy in Britain are still there. 

David Eldridge : Do you think the UK will rejoin the EU? What would the process and timescale be?

I think this will not happen in the near future. Simply because Labour has no mandate to do it after the next election, after having promised not to rejoin. AND: Brussels isn’t ready to even think about it before it can be sure that Britain comes back with all political parties being for it. The last thing the EU needs is another member being half-heartedly for rejoining and then leaving again. 

Lisa Burton : How much do you think Brexit enabled the rise of the populist far-right in Europe and do you think the tide is now turning against them with election results such as in Poland?

I do not think that Brexit enabled the rise of the populist far right in Europe. That kind of politics is happening all over the world at the moment – If anything, it has stopped it for a while as Brexit is still seen as a  failure even amongst most far right parties in Europe. And yes, what is happening in Poland currently is encouraging to see, although I don’t think it will turn the tide. Wilders in the Netherlands has just shown the opposite. And in Germany the AfD keeps polling around 20%.

Fi Cooper : Do you think that the problems experienced in Britain by our departure from the EU have strengthened ties between the remaining 27 nations? 

Yes, I do think so. The fact that Britain didn’t manage to break that union during the negotiations has surely been a good thing for the EU. 

Anonymous : Do you think Keir Starmer, once in power, will be forced to change his stance on Brexit and, if so, what might that look like?

I hope so, but it might take a long time, probably he won’t be able to do it before a potential second term, but it’s hard to make serious predictions on that now, as there are so many moving parts to it. 

Valerie Chaplin : What are your thoughts on UK politics and how far they have swung right?

I have made my point many times, that Brexit was (amongst other things) basically a coup by a very right-wing elite that got Brexit done with empty promises based on lies. As the polls now show, a majority of the British people have understood this and want the Tories out of Government. So, the pendulum might swing back again next year. Let’s see.

Events 2023

Events 2023

Nov 30, 2023 | News

23 March – Day for Rejoin 2024
In person events – across UK/EU
Get the date in your diary now & watch out for further details. Or organise your own event.
More information here

Festival of Europe

11 December – Unlock Democracy
Webinar 4pm – 5 pm GMT
British citizens living overseas are poorly represented and neglected by the UK’s current constituency system. Could the French system provide some inspiration for much needed reform?
Speaker: Alexandre Holroyd is a French MP, one of 11 representatives of French citizens living abroad. 
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

5 December – UK in a Changing Europe
Live on Slido/YouTube 9.30am – 5.15pm GMT
British politics: What does the public think?
Speakers: Rachel Wolf, Chris Curtis, Anand Menon, Ian Blackford, and others
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

29 November – Another Europe is possible
Online – 18.00 GMT
Defeating the Rwanda plan, tackling racism & empowering Muslim Europe
Speakers:
Nadia Whittome MP, Shaista Aziz, Zeynep Demir
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

23 November – Guardian
Online – 21.00 – 22.15 CET
How do we move on from Brexit? Will a new government mend relations with the EU?
Speakers: Heather Stewart, Rafael Behr, Polly Toynbee, Anand Menon
More information here
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

22 November – European Movement UK
Online – 18.30 – 19.30 GMT
Brexit & Business – Findings from the report & making the case for a return to the Single Market
Speakers:
Maura McKeon, Barbara Callendar, Baroness Joyce Quin, plus small business owners
More information, agenda & registration here

Festival of Europe

21 November – UK in a Changing Europe
In person/Online – 9.30 – 17.15 GMT
Brexit: Research evidence – exploring the causes & consequences.
Speakers include: Anand Menon, Dan Wincott,  Stian Westlake, Catherine Barnard, Jill Rutter, Sir John Curtice, David Sterling, Dr. Mary Murphy
Register to attend in person here
Register to attend virtually here

Festival of Europe

18 November – Unlock Democracy
In person/Online – 11.00 – 12.15 GMT
The Future of Democracy
Speakers: Femi Oluwole, Frances Crook OBE
Register to attend in person here
Register to attend online here

Festival of Europe

14 November – UK in a Changing Europe
Live on Slido/YouTube – 14.00 – 15.00 CET
Assessing “Bregret”.
Speakers: Anand Menon, Sophie Stowers, Rachel Wolfe, Lara Spirit
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

9 November – DCU Brexit Institute
Online – 16.00 – 17.30 IST
The future of UK & EU migration law after Brexit
Speakers: Sir Simon Hughes, David Davin-Power, Matilde Ventrella, Hillka Becker, Janine Silga
More information here
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

8 November – UK in a Changing Europe
Live on Slido/YouTube – 13.00 – 14.00 GMT
The UK & the E3 – the UK’s approach to European security post-Brexit.
Speakers: Charles Grant, Evie Aspinall, William D James, Richard Whitman
More information here
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

26 October – London 4 Europe 4th
Zoom webinar – 18.45 BST
Rejoining the EU – Why, When & How?
Speaker:
Brendan Donnelly, Director of the Federal Trust & former Conservative MP
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

25 October – Another Europe is possible/LSE
In person/Online – 18.00 – 19.30 BST
Brexit: A failed project in a failing state?
A polemical take on Britain’s controversial exit from the European Union and its causes.
Speakers: Danny Dorling, Zoe Williams, Luke Cooper
Register to attend in person here
Register to attend online here

Festival of Europe

19 October – LSE
In person/Online – 18.00 – 19.30 BST
Delving into the complexities of Brexit, reviewing the Brexit archives & a review of the book “Leave to Remain: a snapshot of Brexit”.
Chair: Prof. Tony Travers
Featuring: Author Dr. Noni Stacey
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

18 October – Europe Calling
Zoom webinar – 18.30 – 20.00 CET
A new constitution for Europe.
The Constitutional Affairs Committee will shortly vote on whether the EP should start the initiative to amend EU treaties. In English & German.
Speakers include MEPs: Guy Verhofstadt, Helmut Scholz, Daniel Freund, Gaby Bischoff, Sven Simon
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

8 October – North Herts for Europe
Online on Zoom – 17.00 – 18.30 BST
Brexit Britain – What are the consequences of leaving the EU?
Discussing the causes of the Brexit vote in 2016, examining trends in opinion since then and determining if they point to closer ties with the EU or to rejoining.
Speaker:
Prof. Paul Whiteley, Essex University
Join the guestlist here

Festival of Europe

3 October – UK in a Changing Europe
Live on Slido/YouTube – 13.00 BST
Unpacking the cost-of-living crisis. Discussing the latest research, where are the greatest impacts being felt, who is being affected, and how might the situation be improved?
Panel: Jonathan Portis, Sarah Marie Hall, Hannah Slaughter and Xiaowei Xu.
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

23 September – National Rejoin March
In person – London – 13.00 BST
Join Bremain & march for rejoin!
Speakers include:
Guy Verhofstadt, Gina Miller, A.C. Grayling, Mike Galsworthy, Femi, Madeleina Kay, Steve Bray, Liz Webster & Bremain’s own Lisa Burton
More information will be available from the NRM website here, on Facebook here, on Twitter here or on Instagram here
Watch the Promo Video here
Bremain in Spain Facebook members can join our dedicated NRM march group here

Festival of Europe

22 September – Bremain in Spain AGM
In Person – London – 15.00 – 17.00 BST
Bremain are holding our Annual General Meeting in Europe House in Westminster.
The Agenda will include: Financial accounts, Annual Report, Strategy 2023/2024, Council Elections & Q & A.
There will be plenty of opportunity to take part, ask questions & to influence the future direction of Bremain.
Register your interest here

​

Festival of Europe

20 September – UK in a Changing Europe
In person/online – 19.00 – 20.15 BST
A fascinating conversation with between Anand Menon & Lord Heseltine, reflecting on his time in government (including roles in the Thatcher & Major cabinets, the current state of UK politics, Brexit, levelling up & the future of the Tory party.
Sign up here

Festival of Europe

19 September – UK in a Changin Europe
Live on Slido/Youtube – 13.00 BST
Can the UK-EU trade agreement be renegotiated?
Speakers:
Anand Menon, Stella Creasey, Peter Foster, Joel Reland, Janike Wachowiak
More information here
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

​13 September – “Our Star” is coming back
Webinar – 19.30 BST
A curtain raiser for the “Choosing our Future” campaign that will launch a nationwide tour of discussions & public events. Find out about the aims, methods & people behind the campaign.
Peter French will be joined by representatives of various regional grassroots groups.
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

13 September – Grassroots for Europe
Zoom webinar – 19.15 BST
What has Brexit done to our economy, what will it do in the future & what can be done about it?
Speakers: Peter Foster & Alex Hall Hall
Reserve a place here in due course, along with details on how to register to attend.

Festival of Europe

​11 September – Glasgow loves EU
Livestream event – 19.30 BST
Join Professor Richard Whitman for a discussion on post-Brexit foreign & defence policy, Brexit & the next general election, & European views on Scottish independence.
Go to the For social media details to access your stream of choice go to Glasgow Loves EU FB page here or contact them by email here

Festival of Europe

7 September – 4 Pro-PR groups
Webinar – 19.00 BST
How did other democracies get proportional representation?
Makes Votes Matter, Compass, Unlock Democracy & Get PR Done will discuss real world examples, practical lessons than can be drawn & the implications for PR campaigning in the UK
More information/reserve your place here

Festival of Europe

20 August – Music sounds better with EU II
Livestream Festival – 16.00 til late BST
Exclusive music, comedy & political commentary, with live chat & prizes.
Hosted by: Lee Rudd (NRM) & Ben Chambers (SMR)
Celebrity participants include:
Femi Oluwole, Terry Christian, Liz Webster, James O’Brien, Mike Cashman, Phil Moorhouse, Max Robespierre & many more
Watch live on NRM website here or on Twitter here

Festival of Europe

8 August – European Movement Scotland
Online Webinar – 18.00 BST
Scotland would rejoin the EU tomorrow is asked – but how?
Speakers:
Prof. Stephen Gethins, Eddie Barnes, David Gow
Register your interest here

Festival of Europe

15 July – European Movement UK
In person event (Sheffield) – 11.00 – 17.00 BST
Grassroots Conference 2023
Keynote speeches, workshops, panel discussions, campaign planning & networking. A light lunch will be provided.
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

14 July – European Movement International
Digital event – 10.30 – 11.30 CET
16th edition of Talking Europe, in conjunction with the European Commission, aiming to foster debate on the work of the EU & the effect on EU citizens  & the wider European Community.
Featuring: Ana Gallego Torres, Director General of DG Justice
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

5 July – Grassroots for Europe AGM
Online event – 18.30 – 20.00 BST
Draft agenda includes:

  • Report on activities to date
  • Plans & strategies for coming year
  • Ratification of council

Click on Zoom link to attend here

Festival of Europe

26/27 June – EuroPCom 2023
Brussels/Online – 14.00 (26th) – 14.00 (27th) CET
The European Public Communication Conference: Communicating democracy – communicating Europe.
Register to attend in person here
Register to attend online here

Festival of Europe

26 June – Unlock Democracy
Online webinar – 18.00 – 19.00 BST
A new charter to renew democracy: How can we reverse democratic backsliding in the UK? Join us for the launch of a new report.
Speaker: Prof. Toby James
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

24 June – Thank EU for the Music
London – 13.00 – 17.00 BST
Remain reunion summer boat party.
An annual awareness-raising event.
Bring your EU flags!
Further information & tickets purchase (£30) here  
or on Facebook here

Festival of Europe

22 June – London for Europe
Webinar – 18.45 BST
Our Star – Choosing our Future
Members of the EU, led by Terry Reintke, have been keeping “our star” safe until the UK rejoins the EU. The star is scheduled to travel from Brussels to London to appear at the National Rejoin March on 23 September, before travelling around the UK.
The webinar will discuss the schedule of events & how you can take part.
Register to join on Zoom here

Festival of Europe

20 June – UK in a Changing Europe – Lunch Hour
Live on Slido/YouTube – 13.00 BST
The Conservative Party after Brexit.
Speakers: Anand Menon, Tim Bale, Katy Balls, Sir Robert Buckland MP, Dr. Liam Fox
More information available here
Reserve a spot here

Festival of Europe

7 June – UK in a Changing Europe Conference
In person/Online – 9.30 – 17.30 BST
Annual Conference 2023, reflecting on the era-defining decision to leave the EU.
Speakers include: Anneliese Dodds MP, Prof. Sir John Curtice, Peter Kyle MP, Prof. Sir Lawrence Freedman. More information here
Register to attend in person here & online here

Festival of Europe

6 June – UK in a Changing Europe – Unlocked
In person & live on Slido – 19.00 – 20.15 BST
The Rt. Hon. Lord Kinnock reflects on his time as Labour leader, assesses Keir Starmer’s chances at the next election, reviews Britain’s place in the world post-Brexit & the state of British politics.
Register to attend in person (London) here
Register to attend online here

Festival of Europe

5 June – Another Europe is Possible
Online Zoom – 19.30 CET
As the economic crisis worsens & consequences of Brexit unfold, public opinion is shifting towards closer EU ties. What long-term strategy should the remain movement take to push for rejoin? 
Speaker: Richard Corbett
Register to attend here​

Festival of Europe

4 June – North Herts for Europe
Online Zoom – 17.00 – 19.15 BST
The human cost of Brexit and its impact on those who exercised EU treaty rights.
An account of the In Limbo Project.
Speaker: Cosima Doerfel Hill
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

24 May – European Movement UK
Online Zoom meeting – 19.00 CET
In conjunction with Labour Movement for Europe, take a look ‘behind the scenes’ at how the Labour manifesto will be drafted & how to get involved.
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

24 May – Make Votes Matter & others
London – 12.00 – 17.30 BST
The lobby for Equal Votes.
Our politics is out of touch because Parliament doesn’t clearly reflect how we vote. We need Proportional Representation so everyone’s voice is heard. Come to Westminster and meet your MP.
Further information available here

Festival of Europe

11 May – Pulse of Europe/E.Kent for Europe
Online Zoom event – 19.00 – 21.30 CET
Building Bridges between Germany & UK
Topic: Brexit: The current situation, our hopes & how the situation can be improved.
Join the guest list here

Festival of Europe

11 May European Parliament Liaison Office UK
Live Stream – 18.00 – 19.30 BST
What one generation does, so the next can undo.
Speaker: Alistair Campbell
For more information & to register, click here

Festival of Europe

10 May – The Federal Trust
In person (Coventry)/online event – 17.00 BST
Federalism – In Germany, the UK & the EU
Speakers: Dr. Harold Elletson, Brendan Donnelly
To attend in person register here
Watch online on YouTube here

Festival of Europe

9, 11, 13 May – Thank EU for the Music
Liverpool Arena – 21.00 CEST
Eurovision song contest – EU flag giveaway.
Volunteers are needed (likely between 6pm & 9pm) to hand out 1000s of EU flags.
Further information available here

Festival of Europe

8 May – Thank EU for the Music
Europe House, London – 13.00 BST
A pre-concert rally ahead off the Europe Day concert
Speakers include:
Mike Galsworthy, A.C. Grayling, Louise Brown
Further details re the concert here
Further details re the rally here

Festival of Europe

29 April – Volt UK Party Conference – London
In person/Online event – 11.00 – 15.00 BST
Agenda includes:

  • Strategy for General Election
  • Brexit & the Rejoin movement
  • Proportional Representation

Register to attend here

 

Festival of Europe

27 April – Good Law Project
Livestream event – 19.00 – 21.00 BST
Exploring the themes of “Bringing down Goliath” – in conversation with Jolyon Maugham KC
Hosted by: Carol Vorderman
Register to attend here
Watch on Facebook here
Watch on Twitter here
Watch on YouTube here

 

Festival of Europe

27 April – London 4 Europe/European Movement
Online event – 18.45 BST
The failure of Remain – a comprehensive study of the anti-Brexit movement
Panel:  Adam Fagan & Stijn van Kessel
Register to attend here

 

Festival of Europe

26 April – Grassroots for Europe
Online webinar – 19.30 BST
Brexit in the Celtic fringe – the state of the Pro-EU campaign in Scotland, Wales & N.I.
Panel: David Clarke, Jackie Jones, Jane Morris
Registration link available soon

 

Festival of Europe

25 April – UK in a Changing Europe – London
In person/Slido event – 19.00-20.15 BST
“Unlocked”
Speaker: the Rt. Hon Tom Tugendhat MP
Further information available here
Register to attend in person here
Register to attend online here

 

Festival of Europe

18 April – Make Votes Matter
Virtual event – 18.30 BST
Get set to Sort the System – the warm up to the People’s Lobby for Equal Votes taking place on 24 May.
Speakers include: Stephen Kinnock, Tom Brake, Jess Garland, Laura Parker & Nancy Platt
Register to attend here
Further information on the People’s Lobby here

 

Festival of Europe

30 March – East Kent for Europe
Online Zoom event – 18.00 – 19.30 BST
Where is the UK going? Why do we need Europe?
Speaker: Dominic Grieve – former Attorney General & Chair of Intelligence & Security Committee
Join the guest list here

 

Festival of Europe

29 March – UK in a Changing Europe
In person/live on Slido – 18.30 – 20.15 GMT
The parliamentary battle over Brexit and the Conservative Party.
Panel: Lord Gavin Barwell, Sir Graham Brady, Anand Menon, Isabel Hardmen, Lisa James, Meg Russell
To attend in person (London) sign up here
To attend online sign up here

 

Festival of Europe

25 March – National Rejoin March
#DayForRejoin events taking place in UK & EU
Bremain are holding their own events which are open to all, or you could organise your own.
More information on events in Spain below:
Picnic in Barcelona – 13.30 to 16.30 – here
Coffee Morning in La Rabita – 11.30 – here
For more information from the National Rejoin March organisers, checkout their website here

 

Festival of Europe

22 March – UK in a changing Europe
In person/live on Slido – 18.30 – 21.00 GMT
The economic impact of Brexit – as seen by a variety of economists.
Panel includes: Ken Coutts, Sophie Hale, John Springford, Mehreen Khan, Julian Jessop
Register to attend here

 

Festival of Europe

21 March – European Citizen Action Service
In person (Brussels)/online – 9.30 – 13.00 CET
ECAS is holding it’s annual ‘State of the Union Citizens’ Rights 2023 Conference’.
Speakers include: Marc Angel (VP of EP), Marrit Westerweel & Dr. Nina Miller
Further information & agenda available here
Register to attend here

 

Festival of Europe

20 March – Compass
Virtual event – 18.00 – 19.15 GMT
Post-Fordeism: Party and Political Culture in a perma-crisis age
Chaired by: Baroness Ruth Lister
Speakers: Daniel Levy, Martin Forde, Francesca Klug OBE & Jennifer Nadel
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

19 March – National Rejoin March Q & A
Livestream – 19.00 – 20.00 GMT
Come & meet the NRM organisers & ask any questions
Hosted by: Lee Rudd
For further information, NRM website here
To attend event, choose relevant SM link:
Facebook Twitter YouTube TikTok

 

Festival of Europe

2 & 5 March – European Movement UK
Online Events – 19.00 (2nd) & 20.00 (5th) GMT
Hustings with candidates nominated for Chair
Hosted by: Gavin Esler
Candidates: Tom Brake, Patience Wheatcroft & Mike Galsworthy
Register to attend on 2/3 here
Register to attend on 5/3 here

 

Festival of Europe

1 March – The Northern Ireland Deal – Brexit Spotlight 60-Minute Briefing 17:00 GMT
Luke Cooper talks to Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance Party MLA) & Lisa Whitten (Queen’s University Belfast) about the Northern Ireland Deal between the UK and EU.
Live on YouTube
Links: https://www.brexitspotlight.org/ https://www.anothereurope.org/

 

Festival of Europe

28 February – UK in a Changing Europe
Live on Slido & YouTube – 13.00 – 14.00 GMT
How feasible is “rejoin”?
Panel incudes: Anand Menon, Joelle Grogan, John Curtice Catherine Barnard & Hussain Kassim
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

23 February – London 4 Europe/EM UK
Online Webinar – 18.45 GMT
Why the N.I. Protocol is a great British concern (& not for the reasons you think)
Speaker: Prof. Katy Hayward
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe
22 February – Bath for Europe/EM UK
Online Webinar – 18.00 GMT
How we return to the EU – EM’s step-by-step strategy to rejoin the European Union.
Speaker: Anna Bird, CEO of EM
Register to attend here
Festival of Europe

15 February – Grassroots for Europe
Online webinar – 18.00 – 19.30 GMT
Brexit Polling: Beyond the Numbers.
Recent polls record a steady increase in anti-Brexit sentiment – the panel will interpret the results and discuss the implications
Panel includes:
Richard Bentall, Peter Kellner, Flo Hutchings
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe

7 February – Make Votes Matter
In person (London)/online – 19.30-20.30 GMT
Democracy loves climate justice
Panel includes:
Baroness Natalie Bennett, Clive Lewis MP, Liz Saville Roberts MP, Dave Timms
Tickets for in person attendance from £5; tickets for online attendance £5
Register to attend/buy tickets here

Festival of Europe

2 February – European Movement UK
Online webinar – 19.00 – 20.30 GMT
The REUL Bill threatens our rights
Speakers include:
Caroline Lucas & Mhairi Snowden
Register to attend here

Festival of Europe
24 January – UK in a changing Europe
In person conference, London – 1.30 – 5.00 GMT
A reflection on the relationship between the UK & EU from 1972 to today, to coincide with 50th Anniversary of UK accession.
Panel includes: Stephen Kinnock, Catherine Barnard, Jonathan Hill, Anand Menon
Register to attend here
Festival of Europe
10 January – Oxford for Europe/Cambridge for Europe – Virtual Meeting – 19.00 GMT
A discussion about the current political malaise & what needs to be done about it.
Speaker: Prof. Richard Murphy
Register to attend here
Festival of Europe
Minister for common sense?

Minister for common sense?

Nov 18, 2023 | Bylines, News

Esther McVey, minister for common sense: sounds ludicrous; here’s why it’s insidious writes Bremain Vice Chair Lisa Burton for Yorkshire Bylines.

For some, Rishi Sunak’s shuffle felt like a return of some common sense. Still, the appointment of Esther McVey as minister for commonsense, or even more ridiculously named, ‘Commonsense Tsar’, only proves it’s still all about nonsense.

 

Minister for common sense

Reactions to the announcement that Conservative MP Esther McVey was given a brand new shiny ministerial position as the minister for common sense were met understandably with confusion and well-deserved hilarity.

Here we have the Conservative Party who, in general, are against the so-called ‘nanny state’ and all about individual freedom and individual responsibility, yet we are now to believe that the British public needs schooling to ensure what they think of common sense is instilled in us all.

What will the position require, and what about the scope of the work? We already have a good idea because others have already laid the groundwork.

 

The Conservatives Common Sense Group

Yes, there’s a Conservative sub-group for common sense, which I wrote about here in March 2022. Set up in 2020 by Sir John Hayes, CBE MP, it has dozens of Conservative MP members. It is yet another Conservative group whose focus is on attacking liberal and compassionate thinking, challenging the government on policies like net zero and immigration. It is a significant player in the so-called ‘war on wokeness’.

They even have their own manifesto : ‘Conservative Thinking for a Post-Liberal Age’. A 136-page collection of what can only be called essays of opinion, written by some of the group’s members.

Many of their thoughts and ideas in the book are predictable. There are frequent attacks on human rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. Sir John talks of the liberal elite and intolerant “woke” dogma of Black Lives Matter, transgender rights activists, advocates of “decolonisation”, and critics of “white privilege”, describing them all as “woke warriors”. He calls Extinction Rebellion extremists and attacks institutions and multinational businesses like Starbucks and the National Trust for daring to educate its members on slavery ties to some of its properties.

 

What they call common sense is, in fact, ultra-conservatism

Elements of ultra-conservatism typically rely on cultural crisis; they frequently support anti-globalism and adopt stances of anti-immigration, nationalism, and sovereignty. They use populism and political polarisation with in-group and out-group practices. Their primary economic ideology is neoliberalism, while the use of conspiracy theories is also common amongst ultraconservatives.

 

You can see these ideas play out in both the manifesto and a letter written to the Telegraph, signed by Sir John and others, stating:

“Part of our mission is to ensure that institutional custodians of history and heritage tasked with safeguarding and celebrating British values are not coloured by cultural Marxist dogma, colloquially known as the ‘woke agenda’. History must neither be sanitised nor rewritten to suit snowflake preoccupations, and a clique of powerful, privileged liberals must not be allowed to rewrite our history in their image.”

Translated: Our mission is to ensure only the history we want to be taught is taught. It should not acknowledge any acts of brutality or atrocities committed by the Empire. People calling for what has been suppressed by us to be revealed are a danger to our society, a threat to our imperial greatness and British exceptionalism. A traitorous Marxist, liberal, set out to destroy the society we made in OUR image.

 

Why has McVey been tasked with leading the government’s ‘anti-woke’ agenda?

McVey entered the House of Commons as MP for Wirral West at the 2010 general election, lost her seat in 2015, and re-entered parliament in 2017. She stood in the 2019 Conservative leadership election but finished last. She then left the Cabinet and returned to the backbenches when Boris Johnson became PM and sacked her as housing minister.

McVey has caused controversy over the years with her comments on the welfare system, defending the bedroom tax introduced by David Cameron’s government and describing the rise of foodbanks since the financial crisis as “positive”. McVey also defended sanctions imposed on benefit claimants for making minor mistakes. During the leadership election, she refused to back net zero targets for 2050, and her husband, Philip Davies, was one of only five MPs to have voted against the UK’s Climate Change Act in 2008.

In June 2021, she joined GB News, with her husband joining later. They jointly presented programmes titled Friday and Saturday Morning with Esther and Philip, which she has now had to step away from due to her new position. She also regularly writes for the Daily Express.

GB News has come under criticism for having Conservative MPs as hosts as Ofcom rules are clear: no politician can be used as an interviewer or reporter “unless editorially justified”, while Ofcom has now found McVey and GB News (who currently have 14 live investigations by Ofcom) to be in breach of impartiality rules.

GB News supports Conservative policy, populism and thinking above all others. They regularly indulge in the ‘anti-woke’ agenda, conspiracy theory, climate change denial and hard-right populism. Like the Conservative government, they are on a mission to divide and conquer us.

To distract us from their astounding failings, they set one group of people against another, attacking compassion, empathy and tolerance; therefore, they have provided McVey with the ideal training ground to continue this path. Now, unluckily for us, she gets to do it all in the name of common sense and government.