So How Does Everyone Feel About Those Of Us Unhappy With Brexit Having 'opt-In Eu Citizenship'?

[kvalidir]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-citizenship-keep-freedom-of-movement-guy-verhofstadt-chief-negotiator-opt-in-passports-a7465271.html?cmpid=facebook-post

[New Judge]

"Why should I lose the right to live and work in any EU country I choose?"

Because those rights are afforded to citizens of nations that belong to the EU, Eddie. In two years time the UK will no longer be a member. However, if the EU is daft enough to bestow those rights on citizens from non-EU, good luck to them. It's strange that the UK has had to pay so much cash and be subject to so many rules, regulations, directives and laws for the privilege. It seems now those rights might in the future be given free with a packet of Corn Flakes.

[whiskeryron]

What a load of airy fairy rubbish dreamt up to try to appease the lost remoaners.

[ichkeria]

Surely this is aimed primarily at people who work abroad, or want to work and live abroad. In which case being able to vote in EU elections (abroad) makes perfect sense.

[vulcan42]

We traded with Australia and New Zealand when the goods were shipped in small freighters, it will a lot easier and cheaper now with the huge container ships which cross the oceans. These days New Zealand lamb is cheaper than locally produced lamb.

[woofgang]

I don’t like cornflakes can i have cocopops instead?

[New Judge]

No. Corn Flakes only. :-)

[Garaman]

You never know the future might look like this - each country looking after its own affairs and an EU club which people can join if they wish.

[Baldric]

Stupid Thread, if I wanted to Opt-in I would not have voted to leave.

[jourdain2]

Since we will no longer be part of the EU in a couple of years, surely anyone opting in to EU citizenship will lose their British citizenship rights? Can't be dual nationality, because the EU isn't a nation. I'm sure someone will elucidate for me. I have friends in France who have finally been accepted as French citizens (taken them years and years of residence) and they needed a high standard of French to pass the exam required. Which language would UK citizens have to learn to a high standard to be accepted into an EU country? Very impracticable and nebulous, I think.

[ichkeria]

That is the whole point: they wouldn't have to

[Kromovaracun]

People are looking at this the wrong way. It is entirely tactical. It is in the EU's interest to create confusion in the UK. This is why Mr Verhofstadt has frequently dropped hints that Scotland could get automatic membership - everyone knows they can't, but his saying so will add fuel to the fire. It's the same thing here.

I know we all hate Brussels but the simple fact is we are now in a 26-v-1 country negotiation against an organisation with an incomparably vast reservoir of talent to draw upon - and, furthermore, while the UK has been embroiled in legal crises of its own making for the last nine months, the EU's team has been making plans. These people are highly capable political strategists and patriotic bluster ("red white and blue Brexit anyone"?) is not going to fly. Tim Barrow is about the only person on our side who seems to understand this.

[Togo]

It has been, quite rightly, pointed out that there is (as yet) no such thing as EU citizenship. All the residents of the client states retain the citizenship of the individual Country. Perhaps that is the ultimate aim of the EU. They have obviously taken George Orwell's 1984 as a template and not a warning. Perhaps they will indeed ultimately call the EUSSR........Eurasia. Then we could hope that instead of the non stop outpouring of conflict from the Brussels Minitrue, we could see it confined to the occasional "Hate Week". We have not terminated the EU pyramid scheme, we have withdrawn. It is still there, and all the people who are in support of it are free to participate in it's future "developments". They may even wish to become asylum seekers or immigrants to the zone. They are mainly it would appear to be in full agreement with limitless immigration and uncontrolled population movement, so can have no fear or objection to availing themselves of the facility surely.

[youngmafbog]

Quite Togo there are 27 countries to choice from, so perhaps the likes of Lilley Allen and Eddie would be more at home in one of them leaving the rest of us to enjoy our new found Independence and build new friends and relationships around the World (without paying billions for the privilege) ?

[kvalidir]

Some interesting and some expected answers there. You all seem to think it's impossible and yet the people who are able to make it possible ( because they could legislate to do so) seem unfazed by the idea as they were the ones who suggested it, or perhaps a country will offer some citizenship to those of us whose living and working lives have been devastated by the decision to leave the EU with all it's member benefits.
Like Eddie, I, and actually pretty much everyone I know personally as a friend, of all ages ( including my 80 year old grandmother) would jump at the chance. I'm assuming there will be a cost, and that's fine, well worth paying to still be able to live and work in Europe, rather than suffer the inevitable punishments that are coming Britain's way for her dogged isolationism.

[Ellipsis]

It a pretty simple concept. As an individual you'd pay (in some way) to be an associate member of the "EU Club". This may give you certain rights, e.g. the ability to queue in the "EU Passport Holders" queue when you go to an EU member state on holiday or business.

Of course many people have done similarly already, e.g. by applying post-Brexit for dual Irish nationality. Even some Brexit voters have done this, a case of "Up yours" to those of us who didn't have that option ... but this proposal offers something similar.

The outcome would be a subset of UK citizens who were dual nationality with another EU country; a subset who were not dual nationality but acquired similar rights through payment in some way; and the remainder who were neither.

[cassa333]

I think we will end up still paying billions into the EU.

Either through import/export tariffs or a fee for free trade. Nothing comes for nothing nowadays.

[Togo]

//the inevitable punishments that are coming Britain's way //

That of course is an exact indication of the attitude and stance of the EU and it's acolytes. In the meantime they accuse those who no longer submit to being led by the nose, the intransigent parties. Straight from behind the closed doors of Miniplenty.

[Togo]

Those who wish to retain EU "citizenship" persist in the belief that an independent UK will allow a subset of inhabitants who have expressed a wish to remove themselves from UK jurisdiction. Perhaps in the fullness of time the UK will find it necessary to separate the dissenters and invite them to make way for people who wish to come to the UK to escape the EUSSR tentacles. Dangerous game.

[vulcan42]

kvalidir, I suggest you and your friends go and live in the EU. We don't need people who are constantly putting this country down.

[naomi24]

Vulcan, kvalidir has said she's going so her problems should all be resolved very soon.